


Stargate Atlantis Season 6

by StAtS6



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-02-26
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-15 23:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 92,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/165835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StAtS6/pseuds/StAtS6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atlantis is back on earth and the IOA is now calling the shots.  Not for long, however.  A series of events leads the expedition back to the Pegasus Galaxy.  After a hijacking, the city finds itself on a new planet, but this time the planet is inhabited by people who claim to be direct descendants of the Ancestors.  McKay finds a treasure trove of new Ancient technology on the planet, and someone who was once lost returns.</p><p>In this season, the Wraith are still a huge threat.  The Coalition demand for more cooperation.  The Genii make themselves known again.  New enemies and old ones try to thwart the Lanteans at every turn.  Despite the further odds, old and new friends make a stand to help Atlantis in the new fight to re-establish themselves in the Pegasus Galaxy.</p><p>Adam Baldwin as Harris Johanson!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Descended Ones (Part 1)

_______ Prologue _______

Something was wrong. It wasn't just the headache. He's had plenty of headaches before, so that clearly wasn't the problem. He felt a little odd, though. Like he had been floating in water, caught in a current. It was a feeling of disorientation.

 _Damn!_ he thought. _I should'a had a V-8._

He tried to open his eyes, but they were heavy. Suddenly, he felt nauseous and thought that he just might throw up. Somehow, he didn't. He wouldn't lose his dignity by doing the unthinkable, especially if he was in a room with other people. He didn't hear anyone present with him but that didn't mean they weren't there.

He forced his eyes open...and there was the ceiling. It looked familiar to him. He was in a room he had been in before. He was also aware of things he normally would not be aware of, like the operations of the entire city and how it was moving...That was when Lt. Colonel John Sheppard realized exactly where he was. He was sitting in the Control Chair in Atlantis and no one else was in the room with him. The problem with that was he didn't know how he got there.

"What the hell...?" he said out loud. He swallowed as he tried to recall the events that led him to sitting in the Chair in the first place. _Was Atlantis really moving?_

The radio in his ear came to life. _"Sheppard!!"_

It was Rodney McKay. Sheppard hoped he had some answers. "Rodney, what the hell is going on?"

 _"Whatever you do, don't get out of the chair! We're in hyperspace and no one seems to know what happened, so if you make any sudden moves until we can figure out what happened, we'll not know where we are until we collide with a meteor or a planet! Or a sun! So just don't get up!"_

Sheppard frowned. "I have no intention of getting up. I think we're pretty much on cruise right now anyway, 'cause I can't tell where we are or where we're going." He stopped. "Crap. Weren't we on earth?"

 _"Colonel Sheppard, it's Richard Woolsey."_ A pause came over the radio. _"As far as we're able to determine, Atlantis is not only no longer on earth, but as Dr. McKay already told you, it's in hyperspace heading back to the Pegasus Galaxy."_

Sheppard let out an irritated sigh. "He told me we were in hyperspace," he confirmed, "but he didn't say anything about our heading! How did this happen?"

 _"We're...not certain. We're still looking into it, and others are still regaining consciousness."_

"Regaining consciousness?"

 _"Colonel Sheppard, we'll talk about it when we know more and when we can actually have a meeting about this. Right now, everyone who is conscious is doing their part to restore order. You need to remain in the Chair. Dr. McKay assures me that when we arrive at our destination, you're going to have to bring us in for a landing."_

"Come on. I should be able to get us out of hyperspace now, can't I? At least to see where we are."

 _"That is a bad idea!"_ McKay snapped over the radio. _"I already told you about the dangers of jumping out of hyperspace when we have no idea where we are. Meteors, planets or even a sun could be right in our path. Trust me, Sheppard. There are other factors going on here that you don't know about yet and I haven't got time to go into them at the moment, so if you don't mind, I've got work to do."_

Sheppard sighed. "Well, can somebody tell me how long I've been in this Chair?"

 _"Twenty-four hours, give or take,"_ Woolsey replied.

He whistled. "Son-of-a-bitch," he cursed. "No wonder I have a headache. I could use some coffee...and maybe a sandwich."

 _"We'll get you out of that Chair momentarily, Colonel Sheppard. And you'll get that coffee as well."_

With nothing better to do, Sheppard sat back and stared up at the ceiling. "Wouldn't really need to get me out of this Chair if there were cup holders." He glanced at the arms of the Control Chair. "Cup holders would be nice."

There was no reply over the radio.

_______ _______

The briefing room was full, and Sheppard wasn't sure he liked it. Richard Woolsey was there at the head of the table, looking even more grim than he ever had. Rodney McKay was glaring at his laptop as if it had offended him. For all Sheppard knew, maybe it did. The man was brilliant, but he got awful cranky over the smallest things. Of course, the current situation was no small thing. Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex were seated quietly at the table, but Ronon had his eyes narrowed at a couple of newcomers who were crashing the party. They were from the International Oversight Advisory, otherwise known as the IOA, and as far as Sheppard was concerned, they weren't a welcome addition to the meeting. If anything, he expected them only to complicate matters fully.

Harris Johanson was the man who spoke for the IOA on Atlantis. He had already hinted at taking over Atlantis if Woolsey and he didn't see eye to eye. Sheppard didn't trust the man. Johanson had a military background and could hold his own, but he had some political clout to back him up, too. He was also the man that Ronon wouldn't stop glaring at. The woman with Johanson was Patricia Manor, and even though she was good to look at, Sheppard had already had one run in with her that made him want to toss her off the balcony. She was not nice, to put it mildly.

Radek Zelenka was also at the table, and he nodded a greeting to Sheppard as he took his seat. Sheppard wasn't sure what to expect at the meeting. He had been relieved by Dr. Carson Beckett - who was now in the Chair - and then grabbed some much needed coffee and a bite to eat. As he took his chair, he could feel the two IOA members glaring daggers at him. _What the hell did I do now?_ he thought.

"I think we've wasted enough time," Johanson snapped before anyone could bring themselves to speak. He cast a whithering glare in Ronon's direction before continuing. "This meeting shouldn't take long, Mr. Woolsey, because frankly there is only one option open to you right now. Stop Atlantis. Turn it around. Head back to earth."

McKay let out a very loud sigh. "We've already told you that we can't do that."

"You people are in a lot of trouble. It takes a lot of balls to disobey direct orders and head off to the Pegasus Galaxy when you were told to stay put. Do you really think you can just continue taking what doesn't belong to you and live above the law? You have a day of reckoning coming to you. This could be that day."

Woolsey didn't seem to be phased by Johanson's hostility. "I'm afraid your prophetical day of reckoning will not be happening today. At least not until we undo what has been done. Colonel Sheppard has not yet been informed of the details that we currently know of. Of course, we're still sorting out the details, but we do know a few things. One of those being that we certainly did not go against orders, remove Atlantis from the earth's ocean and set a course back to the Pegasus Galaxy. Had we truly done such a thing, we would have planned a lot better than to leave abruptly without stocking up on necessary supplies and leaving key personnel behind without giving them ample time to settle affairs." He glanced at McKay when he said that.

Sheppard noticed and frowned. _What was that about?_

"We have a situation. Atlantis has been attacked. We did not make preparations to leave earth, Mr. Johanson. Someone else, however, did. Dr. McKay believes that this is happening because of the Ancients."

"The Ancients," Johanson snorted. "I hear a lot of talk about them, but have never seen any proof of their actual existence."

McKay blinked. "No proof of their existence? Look around! Where do you think this city came from? A cracker jack box?"

"This city --"

Woolsey interrupted Johanson. "Let's not lose sight of this meeting. As I was saying, a program of sorts was activated without our knowledge. Several key members were...taken over and the rest of us were affected by some kind of pulse that went throughout the entire city. Everyone - except for those who had been taken over - lost all consciousness and for twenty-four hours, we remained that way. In the meantime, those who were possessed made use of their time by bringing Atlantis into hyperspace on a course back to the Pegasus Galaxy."

This was the first that Sheppard had heard of this. "Really?"

Woolsey confirmed with a nod. "Yes, Colonel. Really."

"So...what you're saying is...we've been hijacked?"

Again Woolsey nodded. "That is correct."

"Ah, well...crap!"

_______ _______  
_______ 1 _______

"Effective immediately, all military and non-military personnel will be reassigned as the IOA move in to reassess the usefulness of Atlantis."

The announcement from General Jack O' Neill about floored every one gathered along the stairs of the Control Room five months after Atlantis had set down in the San Fransisco Bay. Most of those present had dreaded that the announcement would come, but even so, they were not prepared for it. Sheppard noticed several IOA members grouped together, wearing their superior looks and smirking as if they had just won a major victory. Particularly Harris Johanson. He turned his head, made eye contact with Sheppard and maintained his smirk, adding a slight nod of victory. Sheppard wanted to deck him one.

Once the announcement was made and every one began to spread out, heading back to carry on with their specific tasks, Sheppard made a beeline for O' Neill with a vengeance. He was firmly convinced that what just happened wasn't right in the least. McKay was right there beside him - obviously feeling the same way judging from the angry look on his face - and as they approached, O' Neill glanced in their direction. He turned and headed for Elizabeth Weir's office...At least it used to be her office a few years ago. In spite of how long she had been gone, Sheppard could hardly bring himself to think of it as Richard Woolsey's office. To be fair, however, the man who was once a member of the NID was now the current head of the Atlantis expedition, and had been for almost two years.

 _Was_ being the optimal word.

Not willing to be deterred, Sheppard and McKay both decided to follow O' Neill into Woolsey's office. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem. Johanson seemed to have the same idea. He stepped inside, still smirking, and stood beside O'Neill as if he really belonged there. That was just creepy. Sheppard and McKay stood off to the side as if they were sizing the two up as opponents. Woolsey himself had just taken his seat behind his desk, wearily looking up at them and he wondered to himself if this day couldn't get any worst.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he inquired, feeling defeated.

Before anyone could say anything, Johanson replied first. "You can get out of my chair, for starters."

Woolsey glared up at him.

Sheppard shook his head. "This isn't your office yet, Johanson. By the way, where are your interns? Aren't they always flocking around you like chicks on a farm?"

"If those chicks want to eat," Johanson said, "then they've got to answer to the big bird in the pen. Atlantis will be the best training ground for them."

"They won't know their way around the city!" McKay exclaimed. "None of you will! You...you'll be like a bunch of children playing in a candy shop. You're going to break things, and trust me, you don't want to do that with the city this close to San Francisco!"

"That's why you and several other key people will stay on temporarily to guide us along."

"There's a place I'd like to guide you, alright..."

Sheppard glanced at him. "Rodney..."

"Oh, come on! Please! Like I'm the only one here who wants to tell these morons where they can go?! I've had it up to here with all of their arrogance. They have no idea what they're doing! Many of the things they've taken a part are more than likely irreplaceable. They've got no business tampering with technology they know nothing about!"

"That may be," Woolsey said softly, "but the fact remains. As General O' Neill has already announced...the IOA is now in charge of all operations in Atlantis."

"For the most part, all of that is true." O' Neill shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "They are going to have complete authority here, including the final decision on what to do about Todd." He glanced at Sheppard as if to say he could have come up with a better name than that for the Wraith prisoner. "But you've still got a few months before you leave Atlantis. As Mr. Johanson has said, many of you will stay on as observers, to lend a hand when needed."

"Observers!" McKay shouted. "Do I look like someone who stands around to observe?"

"No. You don't. But you're going to try it out anyway."

"I don't have to accept this!"

"Yes, you do. It's either that or you can take a walk."

McKay glared at him. Then as if he came to a decision, he abruptly turned and stormed out of the office. Sheppard watched him go, suddenly concerned for the genius. He wondered if there was something else bothering him. McKay seemed to be more cranky than usual.

O'Neill looked at him. Then, he turned to Woolsey and Johanson. "This office is still yours," he said to Woolsey, "and will be until the dust finally settles. That could take some time judging from all the excitement around here. That being the case, I don't believe there will be any reason for a pissing contest from either one of you. Am I making myself clear?" He glared at Johanson as he said that.

Johanson smirked. "I shouldn't have to tell you, General O' Neill, but I don't answer to you."

"No, you don't, Big Bird, but the men who will be stationed here to protect you and your team do and you can sure as hell bet that I can make your life a whole lot more difficult if I so choose."

"Point taken." The look on his face made it clear that he didn't care much for the _Big Bird_ title.

"Good." He turned to Woolsey and nodded. "I'll be in touch." He turned and headed for the door. As he expected, Sheppard followed him. He slowed his pace to let the man walk beside him. "Colonel," he said.

"General," Sheppard returned.

"I seem to recall about six years ago, you were reluctant to join the Atlantis expedition."

Walking down the stairs together, Sheppard shrugged. "I wouldn't say reluctant. Maybe I just wasn't motivated until I sat in the Chair in Antarctica."

"How's your motivation now?"

"Well, sir, I'm not afraid to say that right about now, it just sucks."

O' Neill stopped and turned to face him. "There's always Stargate Command, John. I can get you a posting there. You can still go out and do what you did in the Pegasus Galaxy. Just a little more closer to home."

Sheppard sighed. "With all due respect, sir, Atlantis is my home."

"Atlantis never belonged to us, Colonel."

"Then, why the hell did we go out there and risk our lives in the first place? There are people in the Pegasus Galaxy who need our help. We don't know what the Wraith are doing while we're stuck here battling with BS from the bureaucrats. General...Atlantis is more my home than any other place I've ever visited. But I'm not the only one who feels that way."

O' Neill paused. "It's out of our hands."

"At least tell me what the IOA really plan on doing with Atlantis." He scowled when he saw O' Neill's hesitation. "Come on, General. That bit about reassessing the usefulness of Atlantis is just a load of crap and we both know it."

The General paused. "They want to dismantle it. Break it down. Make it so it can't be used against us. At the same time, all of the major pieces of technology will be sent to Area 51 for further research."

Sheppard swallowed. He felt sick. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Do I look like someone who kids?"

Sheppard didn't answer.

"My offer still stands. Think about it. There's time." With that, O' Neill turned and walked away.

For the first time in his life, Sheppard didn't have any idea what his future held. One thing was for certain. There was nothing bright in it.

_______ _______

Grinning because he was in complete control of the situation at hand, Johanson decided that it was time to put the plan in motion. He stepped out of Woolsey's office, took out his cell phone and made a call. "Cheryl..." he said when the person he was calling answered, "are you ready for that special job I have for you?" He smiled when he heard her eager reply. "Good. Then, let's meet and get it done. It's time to make history."

_______ _______

Teyla Emmagan had just put Torren down for a nap when she heard someone at her door. She expected it to be Sheppard or Ronon, but when she opened the door, she discovered to her surprise that it was three of the IOA interns. The interns, Sheppard had told her, were worst than the IOA members because they would do what they had to in order to get good marks. The more marks, the better the chance to rise up in ranks. Not that the IOA had ranks. They were really nothing more than glorified political diplomats. They had a rule for everything.

Teyla looked at her visitors with curiosity. They were very young, late teens or early twenties. Two of them were women, the other a man. They looked at her with just as much curiosity as she regarded them. One of them, however, had to excuse herself and step away to answer her cell phone. She ended up walking away on some type of urgent request.

"It's okay," the young man said to the other woman. "We don't need her. We'll fill her in later."

The woman nodded. Then, she smiled at Teyla. "Hi. I'm Doreen Stills. This is Jed Meers."

Teyla smiled patiently at them. "Yes. We met a few weeks ago when you arrived with Mr. Johanson and Miss Manor."

"Well," Meers began with a wide grin, "this city is so huge, I barely remember meeting anyone." Then, he pointed excitedly at her. "But how can I forget you and Ronon Dex! I think you guys are awesome...though I probably shouldn't admit that out loud too much. It would be frowned upon by, well, you know. Those in authority above us."

"Yes, well...thank you for the compliment."

Doreen glared at Meers with a look that told him to keep his mouth shut. Evidently, she thought she was running the show. She turned back to the Athosian woman. "Teyla..." She smiled sweetly. "As you know, we really don't know all that much about you or your people. You know...your culture. Your lifestyles. Your transition into an alien city run by people from another galaxy. We would like to get to know you better. You and Ronon Dex. We'd like to broaden our understanding of you and in return, share ourselves as well. After all, we're going to be here for a while. There is so much to learn. Would you be willing to help us out?"

Teyla looked at them suspiciously. "Perhaps another time. I've just put the little one to bed and--"

Doreen blinked. "Little one? Little one what?"

"Torren. My son."

She blinked again. "You have a child?"

Teyla looked at her. "Yes. I do."

Meers shook his head at his intern partner. "How could you not know that, Doreen. That was in the report."

"What report?"

"Oh, it's nothing. The IOA has plenty of files on you and, well, everyone on Atlantis, and we're charged with knowing everything there is to know." He chuckled and waved a fist playfully. "Hence are inquisitive nature. How can we get to know you without asking too many intrusive questions?"

Doreen tried not to sigh too loudly. Somehow she had missed that file. "Don't worry about any report, Teyla. All reports are pretty much just the ones that Mr. Woolsey sends to GC. They eventually come to the IOA...and then, to us."

Meers grinned sheepishly. "The interns. Yeah!"

Teyla really had no idea what to make of him. "I see. Still...perhaps we can meet at another time. How about breakfast on the Terrace? The view is wonderful."

"Well, I think that would be absolutely perfect."

Doreen nodded once. "I agree. Breakfast it is then. Will you be...bringing the little one?"

Teyla decided that keeping her child out of the reach of the IOA was suddenly a top priority. "No," she said, "absolutely not." Then, she went back into her quarters, the door closing behind her.

_______ _______

"I miss you," he said into his phone, leaning against the railing as he stared out at the San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

 _"Rodney,"_ Jennifer Keller's voice spoke to him in his ear, _"it's only been three days."_

He frowned. "What? Don't you miss me?"

There was a pause. He imagined she was giving him one of her sly grins. _"Of course, I miss you,"_ she said. _"I just..."_ She stopped.

"What?"

She sighed. _"I wish you were here."_

There was a catch in her voice, and he was surprised that he had actually caught it. Usually, his mind would be so wrapped up in equations or death defying dilemma's that he wouldn't notice. But this time, he did notice. He swallowed. "Jennifer...are you alright?"

 _"It's my dad. He's not doing so well and I...They said he isn't going to be with us for much longer, Rodney."_ She took a deep breath. _"I think they're right."_

"Oh, no. Oh, no...Jennifer, I am so sorry. I..." He stopped. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture, even though he knew she couldn't see him. "Okay, look. There's a lot of nonsense stuff going on here at Atlantis, so I'll take a little time for myself...and come out to see you."

 _"You don't have to do that. I'm sure you're busy."_

"Hey. You know what? I want to. I really, really want to. Busy or not. Nothing is too important for...for my girl. You know?"

He thought he heard a smile in her voice when she said, _"Thank you. That would be wonderful."_

"Great. Well...can't really come to you in a jumper. Guess the IOA would frown on that, so I'll catch a quick flight and be there in the morning."

 _"I'll pick you up."_

"Okay. Great. It's a date..."

 _"Good-bye, Rodney. I love you."_

He blinked. His head felt light and his hands were beginning to sweat, but in a good way. He was still not used to these feelings, but he knew he wanted more of it. "Bye, then." He swallowed. "I love you, too." He put his cell phone into his pocket and looked out toward the bridge, deep in thought.

Then, he noticed someone was standing with him. He turned his head.

Ronon nodded once. "Hey."

McKay nodded back, hoping the Setedan hadn't listened to his side of the phone call. "Hey."

They were both quiet for a moment. Then, Ronon said, "Dr. Keller's dad isn't doing so hot?"

"What?" McKay demanded. "Were you listening to my conversation? My private conversation?"

Ronon shrugged. "Well, sure. I don't know what she said...but I heard everything you said."

"What? How long were you standing there listening to me, Ronon? Do you make it a habit to eavesdrop on people's private discussions?"

"Since the first day I became a runner, I learned to listen real well."

"Well, you're not a runner any more, so stop listening!"

Ronon paused. Then, he shrugged again. "Okay. Whatever."

"Fine!" McKay snapped and glared at the Golden Gate Bridge as if it just offended him.

There was a long pause.

Finally, Ronon cleared his throat. "Listen...I haven't got anything to do. If you want someone to go with you to help Dr. Keller...you know, with her dad and everything...I'd like to come along. If you don't mind."

McKay looked at him suspiciously.

"It's not like that. Dr. Keller and I are friends. I'm not going to take her away from you. Besides, she loves you."

"That's right. She does."

"So...Do you want me to come or not?"

McKay nodded. "Yes. Sure. Why not? I'm sure Jennifer would appreciate that you would want to show her support."

Ronon nodded back. "Okay then. I'll go."

"Good."

They fell into silence, keeping to their own thoughts, and looked at the bridge together. Deep down, however, McKay felt grateful that Ronon wanted to help.

_______ _______

Johanson met with his best intern, Cheryl Matire. She was the brightest of them all and that was why he chose her for this mission. She smiled at him eagerly when she saw him, but she wondered why there were two Marines with him.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked him as he came to walk by her side.

He gently grabbed her arm, leading her along. "Come with me. There's someone I want you to meet."

With the Marines following behind, Johanson led his best and brightest intern down a series of corridors. They came to the detention center where a series of cells were. Most all were empty except for the one he led her to. There was a forcefield in place, however, to keep the Wraith that was inside from escape. The Wraith's eyes never left Johanson as they entered. He was fully aware of the two Marines and the young woman, but his interest peaked at Johanson.

Cheryl stopped with the Marines right behind her, startled at the sight of the Wraith.

Johanson didn't mind. He moved ahead of her and came to a stop directly in front of the cell's forcefield. He smiled grimly at the Wraith inside. "Todd, I presume."

The Wraith called Todd nodded once imperceptibly. He took a brief moment to try to see into his visitor's mind. He saw many things...and it made him smile. "Greetings to you...Remington Harris Johanson."

Johanson smirked. "I do believe that you and I are going to become...friends."

"Indeed." Then, Todd laughed.

_______ _______  
_______ 2 _______

Zelenka didn't care much for the IOA presence around him. In his native Czech language, he occasionally rattled off a string of curses because of the woman at his side who represented the accursed coalition. Whether he considered it as fortunate or not, Patricia Manor had no idea that his disgruntled demeanor was aimed directly at her. He and his team - curse McKay for leaving - were in the midst of turning over everything they had to the new caretakers of Atlantis and they were not happy about it at all.

Zelenka kept his eyes focused on the monitor of his laptop on his work station as he worked, aware of the annoying woman peering over his shoulder. The others around them at their own stations in the Control Room had their IOA shadows as well. He cursed some more.

"You seem to be very passionate about your work," Patricia told him, smiling encouragingly at him. "That's always so refreshing to see."

He took the pencil out of his mouth and turned to regard her as if she were a bug under a microscope. A dead squashed bug, for that matter. "What?" he said impatiently.

"I said you're very passionate about your work. That's a very attractive quality in a man." She smiled at him.

He glared at her, wishing she would just shut up and let him work. He sighed and looked at the notes in his notebook. Then, he blinked. _Did she just say that she finds me attractive?_ He turned his head slightly to look at her again. She really was a pretty woman, but unfortunately she was also IOA. Anything IOA was simply not attractive. He cleared his throat. "Yes, well...I do happen to love my work. The last five years of my life have been amazing." He looked around, sadly shaking his head. "Unfortunately, that's all about to end."

Patricia leaned toward him. "Maybe it doesn't have to end."

"What do you mean?"

"You could stay on. We're still going to need many of your staff to help us even after the transition."

"That may be...but I'm afraid one of them won't be me. After this, I'm done. If we can't be out in the Pegasus Galaxy, keeping our planet and those we left behind safe from the Wraith, then there's nothing left for me here." He made eye contact with her. "You'll find that that's the consensus around here."

Patricia frowned. "Oh. Well...I'm very sorry to hear that."

He nodded. Then, he went back to work. That was until a shout came from his left from Chuck Campbell, one of the technicians. "Dr. Zelenka! I think you should see this."

Sighing impatiently, he moved away from his station and moved toward one of the main monitors on the wall. Campbell was at the work station, frowning at the monitor with what looked like growing concern. Major Lorne, who had been standing off across the room, joined them when he saw the commotion. The monitor showed an interior schematic of the city. A red flashing dot had recently begun to show when it wasn't there seconds before.

Campbell tapped at it with a worried frown. "I don't think that's supposed to be doing that."

"It's nothing," Zelenka said with a shrug. "Probably just a glitch in the system." In spite of what he said, he moved in for a closer look, aware of Patricia standing closely beside him.

Lorne nodded his head toward the blinking dot on the screen. "Why is it doing that?"

"Like I said...probably a glitch." Suddenly he tensed and cursed in Czech.

"Something tells me that's not really a glitch."

Zelenka abruptly turned and made a bee-line for Woolsey's office. Stunned, Lorne and Patricia trailed behind. They followed him directly into the office where Woolsey looked up from his desk.

"Doesn't anybody believe in knocking any more?" he asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

Zelenka got right to the point. "We need to get Atlantis out into space. Now!"

Woolsey frowned. "Dr. Zelenka, believe me. I share your concerns, but you know as well as I do, that isn't possible."

"With all due respect, there will be no San Francisco if we do not get Atlantis out of here now."

Lorne and Woolsey suddenly looked concerned. Patricia just looked confused.

"What are you saying?" Woolsey demanded.

"Something in Janus' secret lab is causing an unusual amount of energy back into the ZPM. It's overloading the unit! If we don't stop it, it will be just as if we've been hit by several nuclear bombs."

_______ _______

Sheppard was trying to make his foul mood go away by running along the terraces of the city. The view was always spectacular, but right now, that was the only good thing about being back on earth. The view. After all, he didn't have anything on earth that was his. He was from earth. He was born and raised on the big blue ball. But there was nothing to keep him there. In his heart, he already missed the Pegasus Galaxy, and that even surprised him. He hadn't realized he would miss being out there against an alien race bent on keeping humans as livestock. That was what bothered him the most...He had been making an actual difference. Not just for earth, but for other people who lived on other far distant planets.

Now he wasn't doing a damned thing but getting mad.

So he ran.

McKay had stormed off the other day and no one knew if he was even going to be back. Sheppard felt that he was actually proud of the guy for standing up against the IOA. He found himself wondering why he wasn't responding in the same manner. Johanson hadn't been happy about it and made a personal vow to keep McKay off Atlantis forever. A mistake, of course, because McKay's genius got their butts out of the fire more than once. Not that he would admit that out loud.

He came around a corner and had to come to a stop because someone was standing directly in his path with her arms folded across herself. Coming to a stop, Sheppard could see that he could be in for a bit of trouble.

"Teyla," he said with a nod.

"John." Teyla uncrossed her arms, dropping her hands to her sides. "You have been avoiding me."

Sheppard let out a sigh and moved to lean against the railing. "That's not entirely true." He paused. "I've been avoiding everybody."

She moved to stand next to him. "What is troubling you?"

"Aside from the fact that we're stuck here on earth, not going back to make a difference, and all of us are going our separate ways?" He shrugged. "Not a damned thing."

"I'm sorry. I realize how hard this is on you."

"On me? What about you, Teyla? You must feel pretty bad being stuck here with Kanaan worrying about what's happened to you and Torren."

She paused in thought. "I have to believe that we will be going back. Otherwise, it will have all been in vain. Or perhaps it will only seem that way, but sometimes the absence of a purpose can make us forget how much good we have done."

Sheppard looked at her. "Well, one way or another, I'll get you back home. I promise."

"John, you do not have to promise me anything."

"If you and Ronon get stranded here because of bureaucratic bullcrap from the IOA, I'm not going to let that stand. And I can think of quite a few people who feel the same way." He was about to say more but was surprised to see Woolsey, Johanson and Patricia heading right for them. "Something's going on."

"What?" Teyla asked, curious. She turned her head to follow his gaze.

That's when the others reached them.

"Colonel," Woolsey said without hesitation, "we have a serious problem. Dr. Zelenka discovered a massive powersurge flowing directly into the ZPM. He says if he can't stop it, it will cause an explosion that will rival Hiroshima."

"What?" Sheppard exclaimed. "When did this happen? Can he stop it?"

"At the moment, he can't. The power surge is coming from somewhere in Janus' secret lab."

"Well, can't he find out what's causing it and shut it down?"

"That's the problem. The room is sealed shut and we can't get inside. From what Dr. Zelenka can tell, when the power surge began, the room went into a lockdown mode. It sealed itself. So the problem is, if we can't get in there and shut it down within twelve hours, we're all going to die." He looked grim. "And we'll take San Francisco with us."

Johanson glared. "Unless this is a trick and you're trying to find an excuse to go back to the Pegasus Galaxy."

Sheppard wanted to ignore him, but what he had said bothered him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You're scientist suggested taking Atlantis back out into space. So who's to say that isn't the plan all along?" Johanson took a menacing step forward. "You bring the city out to space, stop the so called bomb threat, and then open up a hyperspace window to return back to Pegasus."

"You know what? You're out of line and you're really starting to piss me off." Before the man could respond, Sheppard turned to Woolsey. "Okay, so here's what we do. We take a jumper and go get McKay, then -"

"That man is not to step foot anywhere in this city," Johanson interrupted. "He made that decision when he left."

Teyla shook her head. "He left for a family emergency. Not because -"

Sheppard raised a hand. "Teyla, it doesn't matter, because I'm still in charge of the military presence here and I say we get McKay,and bring him back to fix this. I'll take a jumper out and be back before you know it."

Woolsey shook his head. "Colonel, I think you should stay."

"Why?"

"Because we may need you in the Chair if we have to leave in a hurry. We can get Dr. Beckett to fly the jumper." He paused. "No offense to Dr. Beckett, but I think your presence here at this time is more required than his."

Sheppard nodded. "Okay. That makes sense. I'll have Major Lorne go with him."

"I can go, too," Teyla replied.

"Great. Then, let's get it done." He headed back into the city with the others following behind.

_______ _______

McKay and Ronon had gone to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, by flight, but they had been joined by one other person. Ronon had decided to invite Amelia Banks. McKay hadn't known what to think about it. It had thrown him off guard, but on the other hand, if Ronon was busy looking at Amelia, then he really wouldn't try to take Jennifer away from him. Jennifer had picked them up from the airport. She was surprised to see Ronon and Amelia but appreciated their support. She sat in the back seat while Ronon and Amelia sat in the front. Ronon drove, assuring everyone that he had driven quite a bit the last time he visited earth with Sheppard.

At the Keller household, Jennifer's relatives came and went, dropping by to offer any help or comfort, bringing lots of food. The family were also appreciative of the support from Jennifer's colleagues, though many of them could not take their eyes off from Ronon. They had never seen anyone like him.

Jennifer had introduced briefly her friends to her father, whom expressed his gratefulness to them for their kindness to his only daughter. He reached out and grabbed a hold of McKay's hand, squeezing it affectionately. "Now...you, young man, must be...must be the one responsible for...the happiness in my...little girl's eyes." He nodded, making eye contact with him. "Even though she's sad for...my current state of affairs...I know she's at least thinking...of you...You have my blessing..." He nodded once, smiled and sat back into his pillows with a contented sigh.

"Really? I do?" McKay inquired, not knowing what to do or say. He looked at Jennifer for help.

She smiled and gently took his arm. "Come on, Rodney. I'll take you to get something to eat."

"Okay, but...but I want to know what you mean by blessing," McKay said, turning back to Jennifer's father. To his amazement, he found that the man had fallen asleep. "Oh."

Jennifer took him into the kitchen. She packed some food into a basket, took McKay by the hand and led him outside into the backyard. Hand in hand, they seemed to be heading for a path, which went into the woods.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

She smiled at him. "You'll see."

They continued down the path in silence, which was hard for McKay. Usually he rattled off about bugs and allergies, but with Jennifer, he was actually quite content. Judging from the look on her face, she seemed to be as well. She led him further along the path and suddenly off from it. They went through some wooded area and abruptly, the sky was ahead of them. McKay put his hand up before his eyes to shade them from the sun, and when he did, he realized they were standing on a cliff overlooking miles of rolling hills with mountains in the background. The sight was breath taking.

"Wow," McKay said, "that's...that's pretty amazing."

Jennifer sat down on the rocks and set the basket down beside her. "My father used to take me here when I was a little girl." She paused. "I felt so small. Here I was, just a little girl in a very big place."

McKay took his time sitting next to her. He wanted to make sure there were no bugs nearby.

"I always felt so tiny in this place. Like I was just a little speck who couldn't possibly make any kind of a difference in a place where it's so easy to be overlooked." She paused to take in the view. "My father told me that in this place, it was just the opposite. It wasn't me that was overlooked, but this huge place I was standing in. He told me that it was easy for him to ignore where we were as long as I was with him. In watching me here, he saw that where we were made a difference and because of it...it would enable me to make a difference, too."

McKay smiled at her. "You make a difference, Jennifer, every where you go. I shouldn't have to tell you that you've made a difference in me."

She watched him. "Oh, really? In what way have I made a difference in the life of Dr. Merideth Rodney McKay?"

"Well...I think I'm just a little bit nicer than I used to be." He showed her a tiny space between his thumb and forefinger. "Perhaps not a lot, but just enough where I come out of the shell I've been living in."

"You have a shell?"

"Oh, come on. All arrogant great scientific minds have some kind of a shell." He paused. "I'm...I'm really just surprised that of all people, you were the one who managed to get inside." He shrugged. "I know I'm not the easiest person around to get to know. I mean, let's face it. If I weren't me and met me, I don't think I could be friends with me, much less strike up a conversation. Of course, if there were two of me and we got into a conversation - almost like the time when we met replicators like us - I'll bet we could talk for hours. Maybe even days."

She laughed and shook her head. "You are something else, I'll tell you that." She hugged him. "Thank you for coming."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the view and each others company. Jennifer opened the basket and shared the food. As they partook of it, McKay glanced at her. "Jennifer," he began, "do you...do you have any idea what you would like to do now that Atlantis is going to be used by the IOA?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Well...I guess there really is no going back, is there?"

He frowned. "No."

"To be honest, I don't want to think about it. Right now, I'm here for my father. I'm not going any where."

"Really? Oh, well...then...then, I won't think about it either. How's that? You'll be here for your father, and I'll be here...for you."

She smiled at him. "That would be nice."

It almost was nice, until McKay almost choked on a mouthful of food when a jumper decloaked right in front of the cliff they were enjoying a picnic on.

_______ _______  
_______ 3 _______

Dr. Carson Beckett had managed to find a small clearing where he could land the jumper. He, Lorne and Teyla waited a short time for Jennifer and McKay to join them. Once they were inside, Beckett cloaked the jumper just in case someone from the Keller residence came looking for Jennifer. Lorne reclosed the hatch.

"Rodney," Beckett began to say in his thick accent, "we don't have much time. We have to get you back to Atlantis as soon as possible."

McKay snorted. "I'm not going back. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Carson, but you made this little trip of yours for nothing. Besides, there isn't any type of catastrophe that could make me come back. I am completely done with Atlantis."

"I wouldn't be so sure. You don't know what's happened."

"The only thing that's happening there is that it's being overrun by pompous bureaucrats who have absolutely no idea what they're doing. If I were you, I'd leave. Go back home to your mom, for all I care."

Beckett sighed. "My mom thinks I'm dead and you should bloody well know that." Then, he shook his head. "But that isn't the point right now."

"Then, do tell!"

"Atlantis is about to blow up," Teyla told him. "Is that the short version you needed to hear?"

Jennifer frowned. "Blow up? What do you mean?"

"The ZPM is reacting to some kind of power surge," Lorne tried to explain. "In short, from my understanding, it's being overloaded. If the overload continues, it will detonate the city and the resulting explosion will take not only Atlantis but San Francisco as well."

McKay almost laughed. He smiled at them and waved a confident hand in the air. "No, no, no. What you've just described is impossible. There is no possible way to overload a ZPM. There's too many safeguards built in by the Ancients. You'd be hard pressed to rig a ZPM to blow up. I could do it, of course. It's child's play really, but it's just not going to happen. So go on back to Atlantis and tell everybody that it's all a big mistake."

Lorne shook his head in disbelief. He thought he remembered that the Goa'uld had tried to rig a ZPM to explode back on earth when O' Neill took command of Stargate Command as General, but he decided not to mention that. "Are you kidding me? Do you think we'd come all the way down here to tell you that a mistake is going to destroy Atlantis and everything around it?" He leaned forward. "We've got less than twelve hours!"

"Eight hours now," Beckett said with a sigh. "It took us over four hours to get here."

"Rodney," Teyla said, stepping closer to him. She placed a hand on his arm and looked into his eyes. "We're not making this up. Something in Janus' lab has triggered this, so whatever can be done to stop it must be in there. You're the only one who stands a greater chance at stopping it. Dr. Zelenka can't even get back into the lab. He needs your help."

"He can't get into the lab?" McKay scowled. "Well, why not?"

"Because when the bloody overload began," Beckett snapped, "the lab sealed itself shut. Are you coming or not?"

Jennifer looked at him. She rubbed his back affectionately. "I think you'd better go. If anyone can stop it, it's you."

McKay frowned. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. I know you want to be with me, Rodney, but lives are at stake and you really are the best chance at stopping it. So go stop it and come back to me. Okay?"

He paused. "Okay...I'll go."

"Is Ronon here with you?" Teyla asked Jennifer.

Jennifer nodded. "Yes. I'll tell him to come if you can wait a moment."

Beckett sighed. "I don't mean to be indifferent to your own personal grief, Dr. Keller, but we need to go so as soon as you get him, the better."

"Okay." She kissed McKay and then hurried off to find Ronon.

McKay watched her go. When he couldn't see her any more along the trail, he turned back into the jumper only to find Beckett, Lorne and Teyla watching him.

"What?" he demanded. "It's not like I haven't been kissed before." He turned to Beckett indignantly. "And by the way, she's a better kisser than you could ever be."

Beckett rolled his eyes. "It figures you would still remember that so easily."

Teyla and Lorne exchanged looks. Lorne could only shake his head. "Why is it whenever there's major trouble, we always seem to have to rely on Dr. McKay to get us out of it?"

_______ _______

"You have some explaining to do," Patricia said, glaring at Sheppard. She had intercepted him in the corridor out side of the mess hall as he was on his way to check on Zelenka's progress.

Sheppard came to a stop, slowly turned around and looked at the IOA woman. He idly wondered where Johanson was, but then realized he really didn't care. "Explaining to do about what?" he inquired as calmly as he could. He really didn't like the IOA. They gave him a headache.

"We've seen your files. We know of your accomplishments. I'm sure that while others would applaud your bravery and heroism in the face of insurmountable odds, there are others still who see you from what you really are. A glory hound. All guts and glory." She took a menacing step closer to him. "You don't even care about who you hurt or who you get killed in your quest for fame and fortune, do you, Colonel Sheppard?"

"I wasn't sure before, but now I am." Sheppard glared back at her. "You really don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm here to see you pay for what you did. There isn't a place in this city where you can hide from me or the truth. I'll have it all. And then I'll have your head on a silver platter."

He stepped back and frowned. This woman had an axe to grind with him and he had no idea why. "What am I supposed to be paying for exactly?"

"Colonel Marshall Sumner." She glared defiantly at him. "Does that name ring a bell?"

Sheppard froze. He swallowed hard at the memory. When they first discovered the Wraith, one of the first casualties of war had been Colonel Marshall Sumner and by his own hand. "Yes, I remember him."

"You killed him."

"I did."

"For glory and fame. So you could be the head of the military presence on Atlantis. You won't get away with that. I'll see to it personally."

He sighed. "You've got it all wrong. I don't do any of this for fame and glory. I shot Colonel Sumner because the Wraith were torturing him! Draining years of his life by inches!" He shook his head. "I saw the look in his eyes. He didn't want to go out that way."

"So you made the decision yourself. And you shot him. You killed him."

He nodded. "I shot him. I ended his torment. I let him die with dignity and honor. Believe me, there's nothing dignified or honorable about dying by the Wraiths hands." He scowled. "You sound like this is personal. Who was Colonel Sumner to you anyway?"

"Colonel Sumner," Patricia said through clenched teeth, "was my uncle."

Before Sheppard could think of a response, she turned and walked away. With no other choice before him, he turned and continued to Janus' secret lab where he found Zelenka.

_______ _______

"You've been at it for eight hours, Radek!" Sheppard exclaimed. "Didn't opening the door the first time have to do with some kind of music?"

Zelenka glanced at the hallway, which ended with a wall that should have been a doorway. Or at least a doorway in the wall from which a person could pass through. But for some reason, the wall felt as solid as it looked. McKay and Dr. Daniel Jackson had worked together at finding a way - using three light fixtures - to sound out some kind of code. The chimes had sounded, and if correct, they would have made it possible for anyone to walk through the wall, thereby entering the secret lab of Janus.

In theory, it still should have worked that way.

"Unfortunately, Colonel," Zelenka said with a shake of his head, "the same variation Dr. McKay and Dr. Jackson used is no longer working. In fact, none of the six variations are working, so this puzzle is no longer a simple solution." He glared at the laptop he held in his hands as if it had a secret and wouldn't tell him. "We've tried everything!"

"We could blast that wall to hell!"

"No, we couldn't. We've already gone over that. This isn't just about getting through the wall. There's some kind of forcefield around the interior of the lab. This means, we could blow a hole in the wall, but the forcefield would only still be there. I think we should use the Chair and get away from earth as fast as we can. The Daedalus should be able to beam us out of here if we don't have time to stop it."

"Well, most of Atlantis has been evacuated, with the exception of those who really need to be here." Sheppard let out a deep sigh. "Don't worry about that. I managed to get rid of most of the IOA, too, but we still have Atilla the Hun and his minions."

Zelenka glanced up at him. "We may have another problem."

"What?"

Zelenka paused. "The power surge might get worst if we try to activate the Chair. We could blow up the city by attempting to leave."

Sheppard scowled. "You've gotta be kidding me, Radek! Don't even joke about that."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Where the hell is McKay!"

"Look, I've been trying to get us in there. If he can do any better, then now would be the time!"

As if on queue, McKay's voice came over the intercom. _"Sheppard! What the hell did you guys do?!"_

Sheppard frowned, tapping his ear piece. "What do you mean, what did we do? We didn't do anything! Janus did...or something in his lab did."

 _"Carson tells me the lab is sealed."_

"Carson is right. It is. We can't get in. Zelenka tells me that blowing the wall up won't even get us in there because of the forcefield."

 _"Forcefield? There's a forcefield in the lab? When did that happen?"_

"How the hell should I know. When are you getting here?"

 _"Carson's parking the jumper now. I'll be there in a few minutes."_

"That's just great." He looked at Zelenka. "You might as well get back to the Control Room. McKay might need you there to monitor our situation."

Zelenka nodded, muttered in Czech and stormed off. Sheppard put his hands on his hips, glared at the wall and said, "Crap."

_______ _______

"It's the only plan we have, General," Woolsey said grimly. "With Colonel Caldwell ready to beam us onto the Daedalus, at least we'd have that to fall back onto if this should fail."

General O' Neill smiled reassuringly at him from the viewing screen in the Control Room. _"That's not going to happen, Richard. The Daedalus has other matters to attend to. I have another avenue of assistance I can give you. She'll be contacting you soon."_

Woolsey frowned, puzzled. "She?"

"General," Johanson began, taking a step closer to the screen, passing Woolsey, "I want you to know that I intend to lodge a formal complaint about Richard Woolsey's command, and his entire expedition team. That includes all of the military presence on Atlantis."

O' Neill looked at him. _"Johanson, shut up."_

Johanson stared. "Excuse me."

 _"Let me put another way...if you don't shut up, I'll order the military presence - every single one of them - to throw your ass over the highest terrace." He focused his attention to Woolsey. "Richard, you do what you see is absolutely necessary to get Atlantis safe. If you have to take her back to the Pegasus Galaxy to stop this thing from happening, go for it. But expect help soon. You're not alone in this."_

After the connection was gone, Woolsey approached Johanson, Patricia, and their aides. "Whatever you may believe, I assure you, the danger is real. You may want to remove yourself from Atlantis to save yourselves."

Johanson glared at him. "We're not going anywhere."

"Suit yourself."

At that point, Zelenka appeared, cursing up a storm in Czech. He took his station and noticed that Patricia came over to stand beside him. He tried not to think about it as he set his laptop on his work station. By this time, McKay should be at the secret lab.

_______ _______

They were all there. Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, and McKay. McKay looked at his monitor as he stood in front of the wall, frowning. He looked at Sheppard, frowned again and shook his head, muttering to himself.

"Can you get us in there or not?" Sheppard asked impatiently.

Mckay frowned. He sighed and pointed at the light fixtures. "Hit the fixtures."

Sheppard shook his head, but he did as McKay asked. He tapped them so that three chimes sounded.

"Okay...now do that again, but the other way."

"Rodney...Zelenka already did this."

McKay rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he did, but even six simple variations have to be in a certain sequence. Just humor me."

Sheppard exchanged looks with Ronon and Teyla. Then, he tapped the fixtures again, going the other way.

McKay nodded with satisfaction. "Okay. Good. That's very good. Now...tap it again the original way."

Sheppard wanted to hit him. "What original way are you talking about?"

"The original code. The first one you just did."

"And why am I doing that?"

"We just reset the code so that it will work again. Will you please just trust me and do it?"

Ronon couldn't help but grin as he looked at Sheppard.

Sheppard took a deep breath. He hit the fixtures again.

"Okay...now follow me." McKay walked right into the wall...and through it.

Sheppard blinked. Maybe it was that simple. "Okay...let's do this." He followed.

Ronon and Teyla followed behind.

A few seconds later, the four of them were standing in the lab. McKay was at a control panel, but something was wrong. "No, no, no, no. Oh, no."

Sheppard didn't like the sound of that. "Rodney..."

"I was afraid of this. When you said Zelenka detected a forcefield, I thought it was to keep us out, but we went through it like butter."

"So if it doesn't keep anyone out..."

As a test, Ronon turned as if he was going to head back out. Immediately, he met heavy resistance and was thrown backward to the floor. "Damn," he said as Teyla helped him up.

"It's meant to keep us in the lab," Teyla replied grimly.

Sheppard glared at McKay. "Can you shut off the forcefield and stop whatever the hell is going on with the ZPM?"

McKay looked at his laptop and then at the monitor on the workstation he was at. "Yes...I can. But it's going to take some time." He put the laptop down and began to work on Janus' control panel.

"You better know what you're doing, Rodney," Sheppard said.

McKay rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on! How many times have I pulled our bacons out of the fire? Trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing." He suddenly looked happy. "This might even be over quicker than I thought. All I have to do is reroute the power surge...and slow it down...Oh, and right here, I can turn off the force field with a simple click of a button." He pressed it.

An indicator on the monitor screen went from green to red.

"Oh, no." He got up and backed away from the station.

Ronon, Teyla and Sheppard couldn't help but be bothered by what just happened.

"Rodney, what the hell did you just do?" Sheppard asked.

Before McKay could respond, all four of them vanished in a bright white flash of light.

_______ _______  
_______ 4 _______

At the Control Room, Zelenka was working at his work station...or more to the point, he was waiting for McKay to tell him what to do. McKay always told him what to do. When he didn't get any instructions, he began to worry, only because it was completely uncharacteristic of McKay not to be telling him or anyone else for that matter what to do.

That's when Campbell, who was checking over the life signs detector on the main monitor, noticed something unusual. "Uhm...Dr. Zelenka...they're not here."

Zelenka tried to ignore the alluring presence of Patricia Manor as he glanced toward Campbell. "They're not here? Who's not here? And what are you doing?"

"I was monitoring life signs to see how many people we still have in the city, and if we need to get more of them evacuated...but that's when I saw this." He pointed at the screen.

Zelenka moved his chair closer. "Is that the lab?"

"Yes, it is." He turned to look at Zelenka. "A few seconds ago, there were four life signs in there. Now, there aren't any."

"Then...they left the lab."

"They didn't walk out of the lab, doctor. If they had, we'd be able to trace them. They just blinked out...as if they vanished."

Zelenka slapped his ear piece. "Dr. McKay." There was no response. "Dr. McKay...Colonel Sheppard? Teyla?" No one answered his call. He abruptly got out of his chair and headed for Woolsey's office. He was dismayed to find that Johanson was there as well, but that really couldn't be helped. "Mr. Woolsey, we might have a problem."

Woolsey looked up at him. "You mean...another problem? Or a slight variation to the problem we already have?"

Zelenka hesitated. "I'm not sure...but Colonel Sheppard, Dr. McKay, Teyla and Ronon are not in the lab. And according to our life sign detectors, there not anywhere in the city."

"What?"

"They're just gone!"

Woolsey rose to his feet. He tapped his ear piece. "Major Lorne, I need you to take a team to the lab and start a search for Colonel Sheppard and his team. Leave some men at the lab. I'll be sending Zelenka there to see if he can't try to figure out what is happening."

 _"Understood,"_ came Lorne's response.

Zelenka headed for the door.

"Hold on," Johanson growled.

Zelenka stopped. "What is it? We're rather busy around here."

"I'm coming with you. This charade has gone on long enough."

"You call it what you want. This charade is going to kill us if we don't stop it!"

Zelenka left the office, and Johanson followed.

When they were gone, Woolsey tapped on the ear piece. "Major Lorne..."

 _"Go ahead,"_ came Lorne's voice.

"I've got an idea."

_______ _______

Major Lorne sent his men out to protect Zelenka in the lab and to search the city for Sheppard and his team. After all, if there had been a threat to the team, they had to be prepared for that same threat to be real for Zelenka. Lorne headed for what they called the Zero Point Module room. Without wasting any time, he headed right for the triangular table which housed three ZPM's, of which only one of them was currently working. In fact, it was being filled with power from something no one understood from Janus' secret lab.

He tapped his piece. "Mr. Woolsey, I'm looking at the ZPM now. You do realize that if I take it out, we'll lose the cloak and we'll be seen."

Woolsey's voice came back. _"I'm well aware of what might happen. I just don't want there to be a massive explosion. So in light of the risks, Major Lorne, I think allowing ourselves to be seen in the Bay outweighs the deaths of millions of people. Don't you?"_

"I do."

 _"Then take out the ZPM."_

Lorne took a deep breath and began to activate the panel to release the ZPM.

_______ _______

Zelenka and Johanson arrived at the lab to find two marines standing at attention in front of the wall. Johanson glared at them and then looked around. "Where the hell is this lab you've been talking about?" he demanded to know.

Zelenka pointed at the Marines. "It's behind them."

"Nice try. There's nothing but a wall behind them."

Zelenka snorted, walked in between the guards...and through the wall. Johanson stared after Zelenka in astonishment. Up to this point, he had actually believed that everything which had been happening was a scheme to get Atlantis back to the Pegasus Galaxy. He still believed that. But perhaps there was something else going on.

He took a deep breath and headed for the wall...and he walked right through it. Amazed, he stopped and simply stood there to take a look around. "Well, I'll be a son-of-a-bitch," he said softly.

"I wouldn't blame your mother for your disposition if I were you," Zelenka told him as he began to look at the monitor at a station where McKay had left his laptop. He thought he saw the source of the power surge but then realized that the actual source was hidden. However, it was somewhere in this lab and he intended to find it. As to what happened to McKay and the others, he could only hope it wouldn't happen again.

He sat down at the console and began to carefully trace the power surge. He found a program that was protecting the source, and also noticed something else. He tapped his ear piece. "Mr. Woolsey, I'm in the lab and I have discovered that the force field I detected earlier is gone. I believe it deactivated itself once whatever happened in here with Colonel Sheppard and his team happened."

There was a pause. _"What about the power surge?"_

"I'm tracing the source. I believe it is coming from a device somewhere in this lab. If you give me a few moments, I should be able to locate it and see about shutting it off."

 _"That's good news, Dr. Zelenka. I'll have Major Lorne hold off on taking out the ZPM."_

Zelenka blinked. "You ordered Major Lorne to pull out the ZPM? You have to stop him! With this type of surge, pulling out the ZPM could have a negative effect! Like a spark, it could blow up prematurely!"

 _"Alright, I'll tell him to stop...if it's not too late."_

Zelenka turned to glare at Johanson as if it were his fault. He cursed in Czech. Then, he said, "That's the problem with people today. There are no discussions. Simply orders and plenty of mistakes. Where's the communication?"

Johanson just looked at him.

_______ _______

 _"Major Lorne,"_ Woolsey said urgently into his ear piece, _"I implore you to stop what you're doing immediately. Do not take out the ZPM!"_

In the ZPM room, Lorne was just about to take it out. He had his hands on it, but he stopped. "Is there a problem?"

 _"It seems that there is,"_ Woolsey replied in his ear. _"It seems that if you pull it out now, it might explode earlier than if it were to remain in the module housing unit. So whatever you do...do not remove it."_

Lorne took his hands off from the ZPM and pressed a button. He watched the ZPM disappear back into the generator. "Good timing, Mr. Woolsey."

"Tell me about it."

______ _______

Zelenka was just about to find the source. His eyes grew wide as if he was about to discover a great treasure. Johanson paced around the room with his arms folded across his chest. He tried to look at everything. There was so much to take in.

"Did you find what you're looking for yet?" he asked.

Zelenka waved at him impatiently. "No. Now be quiet. I'm on to something here."

Johanson glared at him. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of white light. He blinked and put his hands over his eyes. "What the hell was that?" he demanded. He blinked again and found that his eyes were trying to adjust. Someone was standing in front of him. At first he thought it was Zelenka, but then he thought it was Ronon.

It was Ronon. Without a word, Ronon leveled his gun at him and stunned him. As Johanson fell to the floor, Ronon turned to Zelenka and fired a shot at him, too. Teyla and Sheppard pulled the unconscious man off from the chair and dropped him onto the floor. McKay sat down without a word and began to type on his laptop. Then, he turned to the control panel and commenced work there.

Sheppard and Ronon exchanged looks with each other. Then, they walked out of the lab. Once they saw the Marines, Ronon shot them both. He and Sheppard dragged their unconscious bodies back into the lab.

_______ _______

 _"Mr. Woolsey, this is Colonel Samantha Carter of the George Hammond standing by to assist you,"_ replied a smiling Carter from the monitor screen in the Control Room. _"I have a present and would like to beam it down to you if you don't mind."_

Woolsey looked startled. "Why, thank you, Colonel. I can't imagine why you would be sending a gift. I'm just glad you're available to help us out." He hesitated. "In fact, we do have a snag. It seems we've lost Colonel Sheppard and his team. They don't seem to be anywhere in the city."

Carter looked concerned. _"That's odd. I'm sorry to hear that. What can we do from up here?"_

"Just continue to stand by. I see no reason for you to send anyone down here to assist us. Any time we're dealing with something that belonged to Janus, you never know what's going to happen. Everything is just completely unpredictable at this point."

 _"Well, let me beam down that gift."_

"Can't that wait?"

 _"I'm afraid not. General O' Neill was very adamant about getting it to you at all costs. He said it was a top priority."_ She nodded to someone off screen. Then, she smiled at Woolsey from the screen. _"It should be perched right onto your desk. We've refined beaming technology to near pin-point accuracy. If that item isn't on your desk, I'll retire to a desk job."_

"Thank you again, Colonel. I appreciate your help."

 _"You're welcome."_

The transmission ended and the screen went back to displaying the schematics of the city. The life signs detectors were still showing, and he immediately noticed that there were six life signs in Janus' lab.

"Major Lorne," he began...but he didn't get to finish what he had been about to say. A bright white light appeared around them all and then vanished. When it did, they all dropped to the floor in unconsciousness. In fact, it worked that way throughout the entire city. Everyone who wasn't in the secret lab lost consciousness. Even Todd in his cell dropped to the floor.

When the pulse ended, Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla left the secret room. McKay remained behind to continue his task. Ronon and Teyla wordlessly went up to the Control Room. Sheppard headed for the Control Chair. McKay's fingers worked furiously over the console panel. The surge was stopped, but it had also done it's duty. The ZPM was fully charged. It wasn't a power surge but a power supply.

Sheppard sat in the Chair. It came to life and reclined. He thought of the destination they needed to get to and brought the city to life. Outside, the city rose out of the water and took to the skies. Once it rose high enough, the cloak was gone and the shields were at full power.

In her command chair on the George Hammond, Colonel Carter stared in astonishment as the city began to break free from the earths entry. "Why didn't they tell us they were breaking free?" she asked no one in particular. She glanced to one of her men. "Hail them."

"I'm trying," the man said, "but they're not responding."

"Keep trying." She rose out of her seat and stepped closer to the screen. She watched as the city came out and broke free from earths orbit. Suddenly, a hyperspace window opened and Atlantis went into it. Then the window closed, and the city was gone.

_______ _______  
_______ Epilogue _______

"Ah, well, crap," Sheppard replied, after hearing about the hijack. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's possession. So who possessed us and why?"

McKay shook his head. "We weren't exactly possessed. More like...our brains received a download that temporarily gave us a new program to follow. Once it was carried out and the program had run its course, it became obsolete and deleted itself."

"Are you saying some kind of computer program was installed into my brain and caused me to be a part of this hijacking?"

"Yes." He scowled at the look of disbelief on Sheppard's face. "Oh, come on. It's not far fetched, you know. Our brains are like computers, and Janus obviously didn't have any problem learning how to do it. Besides, something similar did happen to me, if you recall. And it's also not unlike what happened to General O' Neill."

"So Janus is responsible?" Ronon asked. "This thing that happened is because of him?"

"It would seem so. It happened in his lab."

"The question we should be asking," Woolsey began, "is why now? Why did this happen now?" He paused as he leaned forward. "Just before the four of you took over Atlantis and set us on a course back to the Pegasus Galaxy -" Johanson let out a snort of disbelief to which Woolsey pointedly ignored. "- you were in the lab. Suddenly, you disappeared. As far as we know, you were no longer any where to be found on Atlantis. Do you have any idea where you were? Obviously, wherever that beam took you, it's where this download happened."

Ronon shrugged. "I don't remember anything, really. I thought we were in the lab."

Teyla pursed her lips in thought. "Actually, I do recall that the room we were in was bigger than Janus' lab. It was dark. Lights were just coming on...and there was someone there."

McKay snapped his fingers. "Yes, there was. She was laying on a table...without any clothes."

Everyone looked at him.

"What? Well, she was. I'm not making that up."

Sheppard sighed. "There was no naked woman, Rodney."

"Actually, there was." Teyla paused. "The lights were still coming on, but I saw her, too. I thought I recognized her, but then...that's when the download must have happened."

Woolsey looked at Ronon and Sheppard. "Do either of you recall seeing this woman?"

"I don't remember anything," Sheppard said vehemently.

Ronon shrugged. "I didn't see her. But I think I heard McKay say, 'Is that a naked woman?'"

"I did not!" McKay denied.

Woolsey sighed. "But you didn't see anything in this room that might give you an idea of where you were."

They all shook their heads.

"Look," Sheppard began, leaning forward, "I don't know where you think we ended up, but wherever it was, it has to be somewhere in the city. Maybe the room we were in shielded our life signs and you only thought we were no longer on Atlantis. Where else would this beam send us to?"

Woolsey nodded thoughtfully. "That is a possibility. However, our course is set back to the Pegasus Galaxy. We've tried to stop it and turn around, but we cannot change course. So we'll continue on our way until we get to wherever it is we're heading for. Perhaps once we arrive, we'll get some answers. In the meantime, I think we should see if we can locate this room here, and Dr. McKay, we have several days before we get to our destination. Do what you can to see if you can re-take control of the hyperdrive. If there is nothing else, this meeting is concluded."

As the meeting broke off, McKay was one of the first ones out the door without so much as a word to anyone. Sheppard watched him go. "What's his problem?" he asked no one in particular. "Is it just me or doesn't he seem more surly than usual?"

Teyla and Ronon exchanged looks.

"Dr. Keller's father is not doing too well," Teyla explained to Sheppard. "He was there to offer his support...but we called him back for this crisis."

Sheppard sighed. "Oh, man. And Dr. Keller isn't with us. She's still back on earth." He nodded in understanding. "That's another thing we'll have to figure out. Making contact with earth again, but we won't have any way to dial back to earth. We don't even know where we're going."

"Does it matter?" Ronon asked. "As long as it's the Pegasus Galaxy, who cares?"

Sheppard nodded toward Johanson. "He does."

_______ _______

Several days later, Atlantis came out of hyperspace. Sheppard was in the Chair. It wasn't that he didn't trust Beckett for this part, but he preferred to do this himself. McKay, Chuck, Zelenka, Teyla, Ronon, Woolsey, Johanson, and Patricia were in the Control Room. Two of Johanson's aides were also there, trying not to be in the way.

The second they came out of hyperspace, McKay and Zelenka discovered where they were heading for. A planet that was a pretty big blue ball, much like earth. In the Pegasus Galaxy, they were used to planets with very low population and back water technology, which usually comprised of a hoe and a rake...All of that was due to the cullings from the Wraith.

McKay and Zelenka exchanged looks.

Woolsey noticed. "What is it?"

"There's a population on this planet," McKay said softly. "At least a few million people."

"There's technology, too," Zelenka replied. "More advanced than any of the other people we've come across in this galaxy before."

"If that's true," Teyla began thoughtfully, "why haven't the Wraith culled this planet?"

McKay looked excited. "If I'm reading this right, the Wraith don't even know about this planet." He was astonished at his discovery. "It's cloaked."

"Cloaked?" Ronon pointed at the screen. "We can see it. Why wouldn't the Wraith be able to?"

"Because we are using Ancient technology. Look, there is a huge power source down there, and whatever it is, it's cloaking the entire planet from the Wraith and anyone else who doesn't have Ancient technology. That's why there hasn't been any cullings before now."

Chuck cleared his throat. "Uhm, Mr. Woolsey...we're being hailed from the planet."

Woolsey blinked. "What?" Then, he straightened his posture. "Very well. Let's hear it."

A second later, a man appeared on the screen in place of the planet. He was smiling and seemed overjoyed at making contact. Without any hesitation on his part and before anyone could speak, he said, _"People of Atlantis, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you home to the homeworld of the Ancients."_

Meanwhile, in the Chair, Sheppard was unaware of what had transpired in the Control Room. He did, however, feel as if the landing on this new planet would proceed without a hitch. He concentrated on the task at hand, filled with confidence. After all, he had done this before and under more extreme conditions than this.

Suddenly, the Chair stopped and caused him to sit up. He blinked and looked around the room. Only one thing was clear to him. The Chair had stopped working and yet he could still feel the city just breaking into the atmosphere of the planet. This was no longer a cakewalk. This was suddenly very extreme because if he didn't regain control, the city of Atlantis could very well burn up in the atmosphere.

"Ah, crap!" he exclaimed.

TO BE CONTINUED....


	2. The Descended Ones (Part 2)

_______ _______  
_______ Prologue _______

"Ah, crap!" Sheppard exclaimed, imagining that he could feel the city of Atlantis shaking all around him. If it wasn't shaking yet, it would be, or so he believed. He had been in the Chair with intentions of bringing Atlantis in for a safe landing, but that was seconds before everything abruptly stopped working. All control he originally had was gone and yet the city was still in motion, bumping against the atmosphere of the planet the mysterious hijackers had set a course for.

He tapped his ear piece impatiently. "McKay!"

 _"Not now!"_ was the quick response.

Sheppard ignored him. "McKay! I've lost control of the Chair! It's not working. You'd better get down here and fix it fast or we could burn up during re-entry!"

There was no response.

"McKay! Did you just hear me?"

 _"You don't have control of the Chair because the people on the planet do! The Athenians."_

Sheppard frowned. "The who?"

 _"Look, there's really no time to explain. Since you're not in control, you might as well come up to the Control Room."_ There was a pause. _"You're not going to believe this."_

"I don't believe it already," he muttered. He got up from the Chair and moved toward the door. "I'm on my way."

A few minutes later, he ran past the stargate and up the stairs leading to the upper tiers. He took the steps two at a time and soon joined the growing crowd in the Control Room. No one seemed to notice his arrival. All eyes were riveted to the scene displayed on the main viewing screen in the rear of the room. On the screen, Atlantis seemed to be entering the planet's atmosphere.

Sheppard moved closer, overcome by curiosity. "How are we seeing this?"

Woolsey was standing off to the side as he watched the screen. He kept his eyes on the screen as he answered. "Courtesy of the Athenians."

"Okay...I already asked this question once, but I'll ask it again. The who?"

"Colonel, on this planet that we've been heading for are millions of people who have been thriving for many years. They have technology similar to that of the Ancients. Dr. McKay assures me that there is an immensely strong power source on the surface. That power source is assisting us in our landing."

"Really? Well, did that power source have something to do with bringing us here from earth?" Sheppard paused to consider what Woolsey had just told him. "They're called the Athenians?" He frowned. "That name sounds familiar."

Zalenka nodded from his work station. "It should. It is part of the Atlantis legend back on earth. Atlantis has also been called the Isle of Athens."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

McKay let out a sigh. "Of course, we're trying to tell you something. We're trying to tell you that the people on this planet are claiming to be the direct descendants of the Ancients. They're telling us that their homeworld is called Athens and that Atlantis...Well, they've been expecting its return for a thousand years because this is where it originated."

"What? Wait a minute. I thought Atlantis originated on Lantea."

"We broke through!" Chuck called out. "Looks like we're heading for their ocean."

"Where else would they put us?" Zalenka asked sarcastically. "In the mountaintops?"

McKay moved around the work stations and approached Sheppard. "There's something else," he said, trying to contain his excitement. "The entire planet is cloaked. If we had arrived here in a ship without the Ancient technology, we wouldn't have seen it at all."

Sheppard looked at him, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. "Why would a planet be cloaked?"

"Probably to prevent a culling from the Wraith," Woolsey commented, aware of Johanson listening in with his complete attention.

Sheppard frowned. "But how do you even keep the Wraith from knowing there's a planet out here in the first place? You can't tell me that this planet has been cloaked for that long a period of time."

"Did we tell you about the power source we detected on the planets surface?" McKay demanded. "It's huge. In fact, I'd say there's enough power down there to supply Atlantis for a millennium."

"Are you serious?"

"Well...I will be once we get a chance to visit and see for ourselves."

Sheppard turned to Woolsey. "We're going for a visit?"

Woolsey nodded once. "If we're going to have neighbors, don't you think it would be wise to meet them? Besides, we have been invited by the Council to visit Troye and learn the purpose of why Atlantis has been called to Athens."

"Okay, but let me take my team first. We don't know who these people are."

"Agreed...but I will be going with you."

"I'm going, too," Johanson replied. "You'll need an IOA representative on this mission to keep you in check."

Sheppard glared at him. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off.

"We'll notify Dr. Beckett as well," Woolsey decided. "I suggest we get ready and prepare a Jumper. But Colonel Sheppard..." He trailed off.

Sheppard turned to him, bracing himself. "Yeah?"

"We are not arming ourselves with weapons of any kind. This is a visit. It calls for a matter of diplomacy, not a show of force. I would like it if we could refrain from both being overly suspicious and appearing as aggressive on our return to the Pegasus Galaxy. Let's show a little trust."

"I'd advise against that."

"Duly noted. Still...no weapons."

Sheppard let out a sigh, nodded in silent resignation and turned away. He grumbled to himself all the way to the Puddle Jumper Bay.

_______ _______

Sheppard didn't like it one bit. It bothered him that people from the Pegasus Galaxy could hijack Atlantis all the way from earth. He didn't like it that they had used some type of a computer virus or whatever it was to take over his body to achieve their goals. He didn't like it that these Athenians could easily take full control of Atlantis and place it into their oceans with incredible ease.

One thing was abundantly clear to him. He could not trust these people. As he began to pilot the Puddle Jumper toward the city called Troye, he made a vow to himself that he wouldn't drop his guard for a second. In the Jumper, he was accompanied by his team, McKay, Teyla and Ronon. McKay rode shotgun with Teyla behind him. Ronon sat behind Sheppard. Near the back, however, there were three other passengers standing. They were Woolsey, Beckett and Johanson. Sheppard was against having Woolsey, Beckett and Johanson along for the ride. He tried to make it clear that if anything from the Athenians so much as gave him a reason to call off the visit, he fully intended to turn back.

Teyla watched him from her seat, quite concerned. She leaned toward him. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Just peachy," he responded, keeping his eyes forward. "Never better."

A small knowing smile touched her lips. "You are a terrible liar."

"Yeah, well, don't worry about that. I'll work on it."

She paused, considering a different approach. "You suspect the Athenians are not who they appear to be." It was not a question.

"We've been in the Pegasus Galaxy for five years and not once have we ever come across them. We've never even heard of them until now. Am I the only one who's bothered by that?"

From the back, Ronon growled. "It bothers me."

Johanson looked puzzled. "Isn't this a part of what you people do out here?" He didn't think Sheppard had any reason to complain. "Isn't this what being out here in the Pegasus Galaxy is supposed to be about? Finding new allies to defeat the Wraith?"

Woolsey nodded his head once in response. "Yes, but that's only a part of it."

"From what I understood, finding allies was a huge part of the mission. Now you're just getting back and you have people offering help to defeat the enemy." He shook his head at Sheppard. "Why are you grumbling about a great opportunity, Colonel?"

"Because I don't like it," Sheppard snapped. "Something's not right about this. We should have brought weapons."

Woolsey shook his head. "I believe that would have been a bad idea."

Sheppard let out a sigh, frustrated. He decided not to mention the Beretta 9m he had tucked at his back. Instead, he said, "We'll see."

"Colonel Sheppard, I will lead this mission of diplomacy. However, if there is something...off once we meet our new neighbors, then you will have the authority to act. I simply must strongly advise against a violent course of action."

"Well, there isn't much to a violent course of action without weapons, but...okay. Fine. If need be...we'll improvise." He prepared the Jumper for a landing where he had received directions from the Athenians. "If worst comes to worst, we'll make a hasty retreat. Any sign of trouble, we're gone."

Woolsey nodded in agreement.

McKay leaned forward, looking out through the window in awe. "Look at that! It's like the whole city came out to see us."

Below them, people lined the streets. They were waving banners and colorful streamers. They cheered at the arrival of the people from Atlantis. A clearing was set aside for them and a group of people stood by, waiting for them. Keeping his thoughts to himself, Sheppard brought the Jumper down and made a smooth landing. Moments later, the hatch opened and Woolsey and Sheppard led the others out to meet their new neighbors. Sheppard felt naked without his P90, but the Beretta against his back was a reassuring presence.

Five people stepped forward to greet them. One of them stayed in the back wearing a long, white robe. The hood kept any features hidden. A tall man and a woman stood before the others.

The man held out his hand. "Greetings," he said, a smile on his face, "and welcome to Troye. You don't know how thrilled we are to finally meet you."

"The feeling is mutual," Woolsey said with his best diplomatic smile. He looked out over the cheering crowds. "I must admit I had not expected such a welcome as this."

"You are heroes in the Pegasus Galaxy, but forgive me. I am Darren Mace. This is Staci Coh. On behalf of the Council, we gladly welcome you to our fair city, and may we present to you someone who has been waiting for your return for several days now."

Mace and Staci stepped aside.

Sheppard, Woolsey and the others looked on with curiosity as the white robed figure stepped forward. As the person came forward, the hood fell back and revealed the face of a woman. A woman that each of those from Atlantis immediately recognized.

The woman stopped in front of them, but her eyes met with Sheppard's. She smiled warmly. "Hello, John."

Sheppard couldn't believe who was before him. The woman was Dr. Elizabeth Weir.

_____________________________________________________________

_______ _______  
_______ 1 _______

The George Hammond moved through the hyperspace corridor on a two-fold mission. One of those missions was all Colonel Samantha Carter could think of as she stood on the bridge, staring out the forward window. The stars streaked by at an incredible rate of speed and at any other time, she would have appreciated the beauty.

Not this time.

This time, she had no idea where that beauty would lead. Until she had discovered what had happened to Atlantis and all who were in the Lost City, she wouldn't rest. When the city had first vanished through a hyperspace window, she had wanted to go after her immediately. Unfortunately, even if she had given pursuit, she had no way of knowing exactly where Atlantis went.

The second thing that had stopped her was General Jack O' Neill's order to stand down. Pursuit was not a priority. They spent the next few days gathering key personnel and supplies. Carter had no idea why they even bothered to do that. Even if she went to the Pegasus Galaxy to look for Atlantis, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Four days after Atlantis left earth, General O' Neill not only gave the order for departure, he gave the order while on the bridge of the George Hammond. That was five days ago.

Carter still had no idea how they were going to find Atlantis...but she was also certain that O' Neill already had some ideas about that. He just hadn't shared them with her...yet.

"Are we there yet, Carter?" a voice demanded from behind her.

She turned around to find that O' Neill had entered the George Hammond's Control Room. "We should be at the drop off point in a few minutes, General," she replied. "Even if it works, sir, we still have no idea where Atlantis is to use it."

"Oh, I have an 'idea' of where Atlantis is," O' Neill said with a confident grin. "I didn't get to wear these stars on my uniforms just for my looks, you know. I also actually earned them."

Carter couldn't help it. She grinned back at him. "How long will you be staying there?"

"Just long enough to make sure it's operational. Then, it's back to the SGC. I'll be home before you will, cooking up some fish and watching reruns of The Simpsons."

"General, are you going to tell me your idea about where Atlantis is?"

"Sure, I will." He paused for affect. "It's in the Pegasus Galaxy." He waved a hand in the air for emphasis. "Somewhere...that a-way."

Carter regarded him with a look. "How can we even be certain of that, sir? For all we know, they could be any where. Maybe they didn't go to the Pegasus Galaxy."

O' Neill nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, I'm sure they went to Pegasus, Carter. Whatever it was that affected Atlantis and caused it to leave earth, I'm sure it originated there. Once you get there, you'll see." He smiled. "You'll figure it out."

"You're going to have to tell me before you leave. You might as well tell me now."

O' Neill looked at her.

Carter waited.

"You always could spoil the fun out of a surprise, Carter," he told her. "Did you know that?"

"I thought you didn't like surprises."

"I don't, but I sure as hell love to give them."

Having reached their first destination, the George Hammond dropped out of hyperspace. O' Neill shared his idea with Carter before he and the newly assigned personnel left the ship. When she heard the idea, she realized that she should have known what was coming next.

_______ _______

He couldn't believe it. Not again.

Elizabeth Weir had almost died in an explosion during an attack on the city by the Wraith. If it hadn't been for nanites, she would have died then. Then, the replicators took her when McKay revived a command into the collective that caused them to concentrate on destroying the Wraith. And finally, Weir herself led a small band of replicators to their deaths by stepping through the stargate...and out into deep space.

Atlantis had lost her three times.

They weren't going to lose her again.

He wasn't going to lose her again.

It looked like Elizabeth Weir. It sounded like Elizabeth Weir. Sheppard was more than convinced it wasn't Elizabeth Weir. He had said that if there was any sign of trouble, they would immediately head back to Atlantis. He had no doubt in his mind that this was definitely trouble.

"Everybody back to the jumper!" he snapped, turning abruptly away from the imposter and the Athens. "We're leaving now!"

Woolsey stepped into his path. "Colonel, I seriously doubt this is the trouble we talked about."

Sheppard glared at him. "Look, I'm telling you there's something wrong here! You've got to trust me on this."

Woolsey hesitated. Finally, he nodded.

 _"John!"_ Elizabeth exclaimed. _"Please!"_

Sheppard deliberately ignored her. He was the first one back inside the jumper. By the time everyone was inside and as the hatch was closing, he aimed it for the skies.

Teyla, Ronon and McKay had taken their seats, but they kept their own thoughts to themselves. At least for the moment. Their silence only showed that they had not been prepared for seeing someone who they thought was dead. Especially someone they had loved. Like Sheppard, they were trying to process it.

Once they were on their way back toward Atlantis, Johanson had to be the first to speak. "Would someone please tell me what _that_ was all about?"

Sheppard and his team remained silent while Beckett and Woolsey exchanged looks.

"Don't leave me in the dark here," Johanson warned. "I'll find out anyway, but I'd prefer it if you told me now."

Beckett scowled. "Are you daft? That woman down there was _Elizabeth Weir,_ which should not even be possible. You're IOA, aren't you? I'm sure you must have seen plenty of reports come across your desk that concerned Dr. Weir."

Understanding dawned on him. He nodded slowly once. "I see." He watched the others, studying their reactions. "I'm still not quite sure I get it. You all obviously care fro the woman, or did at one time. I would have thought you'd be happy to see her alive and well."

"You're right," Sheppard agreed. "You don't get it."

"How about clueing me in?"

"It's none of your business."

"I disagree. Clearly, this unexpected turn of events is likely to affect your judgement. From what I'm seeing, you should have some quality down time until the matter can be resolved."

Ronon shook his head with a grunt. "It's a good thing that's not your call to make."

Johanson opened his mouth to respond.

Woolsey beat him to it. "That may be so, Ronon. However, it is my call to make."

"What are you saying?" McKay wanted to know. "Are you shutting us down? I've still got to figure out what got us here in the first place. We didn't even get to find out where the power source is because I'm telling you, something here was powerful enough to bring us right to this planet! There is something seriously wrong here! You can't shut us down."

He shook his head. "I don't intend to."

McKay hesitated. "Oh...you don't?"

"No, I don't." Woolsey paused. "But since...your possession, and with all that's been happening, we neglected to have you examined in the infirmary. When we get back, Dr. Beckett, I would like you to take care of that right away."

Beckett nodded once. "Of course."

"While that is being done, I'll make arrangements for another meeting with Darren Mace, Staci Coh and...Dr. Weir." Before Sheppard could protest, he said, "Like it or not, there are still answers we need and the only way to get them is to meet."

"Oh, no..." McKay said softly as he came to a sudden realization.

Teyla turned to look at him. She had come to the same realization.

"What?" Sheppard growled.

McKay suddenly averted his eyes and looked away. "Nothing."

"Then, why did you say _'Oh, no'_? Usually when you say that, something's about to blow up or we're about to be killed."

"I didn't say that. Nothing's going to blow up. There's nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing wrong at all."

Teyla cleared her throat. "Rodney thinks that the woman we saw before we were taken over was Dr. Weir."

McKay swallowed. "No, I don't! Not really. I'm one hundred percent positive it was somebody else!"

Ronon blinked. "Wait a minute. The naked woman you saw after that first bright flash...was Dr. Weir?"

"I didn't say that!" McKay protested. "I never said that at all!"

"But it _was_ Dr. Weir," Teyla confirmed.

"Okay, now...you see, I'm not convinced that I saw a naked woman at all. Period! I certainly did not see Elizabeth like that because if I did - and I strongly stress that I didn't - but if I did, I assure you that I have absolutely no memory of it! At all!"

Sheppard let out a sigh. "Rodney."

"Wherever that bright flash took us, it was dark. I mean the lights were gradually coming on, and before they were all on, I saw...the woman."

"McKay..."

McKay waved his hands as he spoke. "Okay, I suppose it could have been Elizabeth, but I couldn't really tell. I mean, it's not like I've ever seen her naked before...because I haven't! I really really haven't!" He swallowed. "I didn't see a lot. Much." He closed his eyes. "Oh, no."

"McKay!" Sheppard snapped impatiently.

McKay turned to him. "What?!"

Sheppard paused as he looked out at Atlantis as they approached. Then, he let out another sigh. "Okay...Teyla. Rodney. I want you both to think about this. As I recall, wherever the hell that bright flash took us, Ronon and I didn't see any woman, naked or otherwise. We had our attention focused on the other side of the room. What I'm going to ask you is this...Can you be absolutely certain that the woman you saw was...was Elizabeth?"

McKay swallowed again. "No...?"

Teyla paused. "I believe it is possible that it could have been."

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Sheppard demanded. "You're suggesting that the bright flash which took us from Janus' lab brought us all the way to here...on Athens. From earth. To the Pegasus Galaxy from the milky way. Now I ask you...if that is what happened, how is that even possible?"

No one had an answer.

_______ _______

Elizabeth Weir helplessly stood by as she watched the jumper fly away. She balled her hands into fists at her sides and felt the tears of frustration and loneliness begin to fill her eyes. They had been so close...but still so very far away. Now maybe even farther than ever.

Staci came to stand at her side. She placed a hand at the small of Elizabeth's back as an offer of comfort. "Elizabeth," she said softly, "I'm so sorry. I know this wasn't the reunion you were hoping for."

"No," Elizabeth said bitterly, trying to reign in her emotions. "It wasn't."

"Perhaps they're just not ready," Mace offered gently. "Perhaps it was too much to hope for that they would simply accept you back. You've all been through so much."

"I should have stayed in the lab where you found me." Elizabeth paused as she took a few steps forward, as if she could move closer to Atlantis. She wondered if there was ever a chance that she could call it home again. "I should have let you bring them to me like you've suggested. I was just so excited. I --" She took a deep breath. "I wasn't expecting this, but I should have."

"They don't know that it's really you."

Elizabeth closed her eyes. "Maybe that's the problem, Darren. I'm not sure either that it's really me."

_______ _______

Zelenka had run enough diagnosis' on every system in the Control Room of Atlantis, he felt like his head was about to explode. He had been hard at work trying to find out how the controls had been taken from the Chair and diverted to the planet. He wanted to prevent such a thing from occurring again. He thought that maybe the answer was somewhere in Janus' lab. However, he dreaded the thought of going in there and yet if he didn't look into it soon, McKay would have his head on a silver platter.

He hoped he wouldn't open up any other surprises for they certainly had more than enough. That Janus was a sneaky son-of-a-gun. As Zelenka headed down the steps from the Control Room, he happened to see Patricia Manor and Doreen Stills standing in front to the stargate. They appeared to be arguing, but they stopped as he approached them.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, not really caring one way or the other. The women were, after all, IOA.

"No," Patricia responded sharply.

Doreen's answer, however, was just the opposite. "Jed and Cheryl are missing."

Zelenka paused to regard them both. He looked at Patricia. "To you, there seems to be nothing wrong." He turned to Doreen. "Yet you say your fellow interns are missing."

"Two of them are, yes."

Patricia sighed. "They obviously evacuated from the city before we left earth."

Doreen shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Jed and I had breakfast with Teyla a few days ago and that was when we were traveling through space. And another thing, Cheryl and Jed aren't the only ones missing. A few other interns are missing as well."

"How many others?" Zelenka asked.

"Four."

He blinked. "Four? So...that's six interns believed to be missing?"

"Yes," Doreen said.

"No," Patricia replied sharply.

Zelenka frowned. "Exactly how many interns does it take to...?" He shook his head. "Never mind. I'm sure you would not appreciate the joke. How many interns did you and Mr. Johanson bring onto Atlantis?"

"Including myself," Doreen answered before Patricia could, "twelve."

"Really? Twelve? That's a bit excessive, isn't it?"

Patricia looked at him, her hands on her hips. "We take our work very seriously."

Zelenka nodded once. "I'm sure you do. However, the disappearance of six of your _seriously_ working interns I think raises some alarms. If you cannot account for them having been evacuated before we left, this could be a problem. I believe we should bring this to Major Lorne's attention immediately."

At the same time, Doreen said, "Thank you." And Patricia replied, "That won't be necessary." Then, the two women glared at one another.

"Perhaps it isn't necessary," Zelenka assured Patricia, "but it wouldn't hurt to mention this to Major Lorne, would it?"

Patricia relented with a nod. "No. It wouldn't."

"Then, let's go find him, shall we?"

_______ _______

Once they had returned to Atlantis, Woolsey headed directly for his office. Johanson was right at his side, a continual thorn that refused to go away. Something, however, captured Johanson's attention and caused him to walk away. Woolsey had no idea what it was, but he was grateful for it.

In his office, he arranged to contact the Athens and because of the state-of-the-art technology, combined with the Ancient technology, he was able to communicate directly with Darren Mace through his laptop.

"First and foremost," Woolsey said after they greeted one another, "I would like to apologize for our abrupt departure. It seems that there was a most unexpected...development that caused us to re-evaluate our situation."

On the laptop's monitor screen, Mace nodded in understanding. "Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

Woolsey confirmed it with a brisk nod. "We...would like to try this again, but under a few conditions."

"Of course. I assure you, Richard. Our intentions for you and your people are for the good. We wish you no harm."

"And yet you've somehow managed to hijack us here from our galaxy to yours." He spread his hands. "Surely, you can understand our suspicions."

Mace held up a hand. "While I do fully understand your position, I assure you...we had nothing to do with what brought you here."

Woolsey sat back. "Really?"

"I tell you a truth. We can help you determine what brought you here, but we are not the cause of it. Richard, I can tell you that what brought you here is the same thing responsible for Elizabeth's arrival as well."

Woolsey could not come up with a response.

__________________________________________________________________________

_______ _______  
_______ 2 _______

Sheppard had wanted to return to the Pegasus Galaxy, but not like this. Hijacked from earth by some type of weird mind control or, as McKay had explained it, a virus download directly into the brain. Yet there they were, back in the Pegasus Galaxy. They wound up on a planet inhabited by people who claimed to be direct descendants of the Ancestors. To top all of that off...who decided to show up?

Elizabeth Weir.

Her arrival should not have even been a possibility. Sheppard had almost come to accept that she was gone. Now he found himself fighting against feelings he didn't want to revisit. He stood in the infirmary waiting for his examination with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes glaring straight at the wall across the room.

McKay sat in a chair, also waiting for his examination. He let out a loud sigh. "No matter which galaxy you wind up in," he began, "ever doctor's office is always the same. You always have to wait." He suddenly sat up. "Of course, the lollipop at the end of the visit was always worth the trip. Or at least _almost_ always worth the trip. Everybody loves a lollipop. My favorites are the orange and the yellow, but definitely orange." He paused. "I don't suppose Carson even has lollipops, but Jennifer did. She...always had lollipops." Suddenly, he fell silent.

Sheppard frowned. He snapped out of his own thoughts and forced himself to look at McKay. It suddenly occurred to him that the super genius scientist did not look happy at all.

"Rodney," he said hesitantly, "I'm sorry. Throughout all the fun we've been having, I forgot that you and Dr. Keller were..." He trailed off. Then, he sighed. "We're not done here. We'll figure things out, re-establish contact with earth and get Dr. Keller back here."

"She didn't want to come back," McKay said softly. "Come to think of it, neither did I."

"What are you talking about? Of course, you wanted to come back here. We all did. Not like this, but we did want to return."

"You don't understand. Without Jennifer being here...I don't want to be here without her."

"I told you, we'll get her back."

McKay turned to look at her. "Her father is dying and...and I can't be there for her! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Don't you think I know how I am? Jennifer is the only one who fully accepts me for the way I am. She...she looks past all of the arrogance and the oh so many short comings that I have...and she looks right at me. You know what? Her father did, too, come to think of it. He looked past all of the junk and saw me." He stood up and swallowed. "They accepted me, junk and all. No one has ever done that. Not Kate. Not Carson or Zelenka. Not Teyla, Ronon...Not even you. For the first time in my life, I have a connection and I don't want to lose it. I don't want to lose Jennifer."

Sheppard was stunned. For the first time since he had known McKay, he thought he was seeing a new side of him he never knew existed. A new Rodney McKay. When he found his voice, he said, "I'm sorry, Rodney. I...I knew you were seeing each other, but I really had no idea it was this serious."

"Be honest. You didn't think it was serious because you didn't believe a guy like me could have a woman like Jennifer fall for me." He watched Sheppard. "Did you?"

Sheppard cleared his throat. "To be honest...?"

"Go on," McKay prodded.

Sheppard let out a breath. "Okay. No, I didn't think that Dr. Keller...or any woman for that matter, could ever fall for a guy like you."

McKay began to nod. "I thought so." The rest of what Sheppard had said began to sink in. "What do you mean by any woman for that matter?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Forget it."

Mckay frowned. Finally, he nodded slowly and sat back down. "It's okay. Like I said, I know how I am. Being with Jennifer...Well, she helps me see things I haven't seen before. About myself. About others, too."

There was a pause.

"Rodney..."

McKay turned his head. "Yeah?"

"For what it's worth...you're not just a part of the team." He paused because he was not used to expressing his personal feelings to anyone. "You're family," he finally said. Then, to lighten the mood and break the tension, he added, "And you also saw Elizabeth - or whoever that woman was - naked."

"Stop reminding me of that!" McKay snapped. "I'm trying to forget!"

"I'll bet that won't be easy."

"Not if you and Ronon keep reminding me every chance you get, it won't!"

Sheppard couldn't help it. "Do you really want to forget?"

McKay hesitated. "What? Yes! Of course, I want to forget, but you're really not helping!"

Sheppard grinned. Knowing he could still get McKay worked up improved his mood greatly.

_______ _______

Ronon was not the most patient guy there was, but somehow he made himself endure the physical examination. Dr. Beckett ran him through the paces, taking his time because he wanted to be sure there was nothing wrong. There did not appear to be, but he had come to discover that on Atlantis, nothing was ever what it appeared to be.

"All right, Ronon," he said as he looked at a monitor on a rolling stand. "Your heart rate and blood pressure are as it should be. You're as healthy as a horse. Not a bloody thing wrong with you."

Ronon shrugged as if he didn't have a care in the world. "I didn't think there was to begin with."

"I'm sure Mr. Woolsey will be happy to hear it as well, but first, I've got to run Dr. McKay, Colonel Sheppard and Teyla through as well. I expect to find the same results."

Ronon got to his feet. "That's it, then?"

"That's it."

The Setadan, however, didn't leave. "Do you think that was really her?"

"Elizabeth, you mean?" Beckett paused to consider his answer. "Without a complete examination, I can't be sure. We all thought she was dead, Ronon. For all I know, that's a replicator." He paused again as he considered another possibility. "Or she could be a clone...like me."

Ronon regarded him. "If she is a clone, she'd be able to come back then, like you did. Wouldn't she?"

Beckett hesitated. "If she is a clone, then how did she come to be? Who's responsible and for what purpose? We still don't know anything about the people on this planet, but we do know that they brought us here by taking over your minds and hijacking Atlantis. We really can't be certain then of who that woman is until we know who they are."

Ronon shrugged. "All I know is that the woman looked exactly like Elizabeth Weir and sounded like her, too. So maybe...just maybe it _is_ Elizabeth Weir."

"That's wishful thinking, lad."

"Yeah? Well...so were you."

Beckett didn't know how to respond to that as he watched Ronon walk out of the infirmary.

_______ _______

"What right did you have of alerting the military presence that my interns may have disappeared without coming to see me first?"

Doreen hesitated. She had seen Johanson angry before, but this time was different. He looked mad enough to commit murder. She saw it in his eyes and it scared her. "I did what I thought was the right thing to do," she responded defensively. "They are missing and you weren't here for me to bring it to your attention."

"I'm here now. You could have waited, or you should have at least talked it over with Patricia."

"I did talk to Miss Manor."

"What did she say?"

"She seems to think that nothing's wrong. That they might have gotten off Atlantis before we left earth but--"

Johanson glared at her, interrupting. "That seems logical enough to me."

Doreen sighed. "It would...if I hadn't seen some of them during our trip through space. You can be angry all you want. Something's wrong. They didn't just disappear. Something happened to them and Major Lorne assured us that he would find out what did happen."

Johanson reigned in his anger as he turned away from Doreen. He saw the two marines he had assigned to him, hanging back on the terrace to give them space. The IOA representative took a moment to calm himself. If he didn't, he would be dangerously close to picking up Doreen and tossing her over the side. He would like to do that to Patricia as well. She had joined Major Lorne's team for the search.

When he turned back around, he saw that Doreen was watching him with suspicion in her eyes. He realized he had to be careful. She was a smart girl. Perhaps too smart for her own damned good.

"What did you do?" she finally asked.

A feral grin appeared on his lips. "What did I do?"

"You did something."

"What do you think I did, Doreen? Are you saying I'm responsible for their disappearances? You should be very careful about making accusations when you have no evidence to support your claims."

Doreen glared at him. "I don't know what happened to them, but I'm sure that you do. Whether you're responsible or not, you know something. You're hiding something. Why don't you just tell me?" She looked into his eyes. "Will Major Lorne find them? Are they even on Atlantis?"

"You know what? You ask too many questions."

"I'm going to keep asking until I get answers."

Johanson paused for a moment. He let out a sigh as he stood by the balcony, looking out at the alien ocean below. His trusted men continued to hang back and out of sight. Finally, he gestured for her to approach him.

Hesitantly, Doreen approached him and leaned on the balcony beside him. She didn't say anything. She decided to wait.

The wait wasn't long. "Who do you think you are?" Johanson demanded, bringing his face closer to hers. "You are under my authority. Not above it. You are going to drop this or I am going to drop you. Are we clear?"

She swallowed and backed away. "I...I'm not questioning your authority. I just...I'm worried about my friends."

"Your friends are doing their jobs."

"What?"

"They're doing what they've been ordered to do. They're investigating everyone who was a part of this expedition. Unfortunately, you've just interfered with that by bringing it to Major Lorne's attention. If they find them, our investigation is over." He leaned toward her. "Thanks to you."

Doreen let out a sigh, horrified at what she had done. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You didn't know because you weren't supposed to."

She paused. "So...they're still here, then? On Atlantis? Why haven't I seen them?"

"Oh, you want to see them, do you?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Fine. I'll take you to them...and then we can consider this matter closed."

She nodded in agreement.

He took her by the arm and led her to where she would get the answers to the questions she had been asking. Those answers, however, were not answers she was going to want to hear.

_______ _______

It was time. The physical examinations of Colonel Sheppard and his team had been completed. There were no residual affects since after the hijacking. They were back on full duty and ordered to the jumper bay to meet their guests. The Athenians arrived via a jumper of their own, but their jumper seemed to be longer and more rounded on the edges.

Sheppard actually let out a whistle of appreciation as he saw it come into the bay.

Woolsey turned his head. "I have to agree, Colonel. That is an impressive jumper."

Sheppard nodded slowly. "It's a luxury jumper, with all the accouterments."

McKay frowned. "Accouterments? Who says 'accouterments'?"

"Apparently," Teyla replied with a smile, "John does."

They all fell silent and waited as the luxury jumper landed in the bay. Then, they gathered at the hatch to wait for it to open. The hatch rose up and a ramp extended downward. Inside the jumper, there were two pilots, Darren Mace, Staci Coh...and Elizabeth Weir. They each came out of the jumper and made their approach.

This time, Elizabeth didn't speak but her eyes searched the faces Sheppard and the others carefully. Sheppard tried hard not to look at her. He refused to believe it was her.

Woolsey did all the talking this time. He introduced Colonel Sheppard and his team, Dr. Beckett and Patricia Manor, who was attending the greeting process instead of Johanson. Patricia was stunned when she saw Elizabeth. She kept watching her and occasionally, she cast a suspicious look at Sheppard as if he had something to do with Elizabeth's mysterious return.

For the most part, Sheppard ignored her presence as well.

After the introductions, Woolsey turned to Elizabeth. "Dr. Weir...as much as I would like to say that it is a pleasure to see you again, I hope you can understand our caution."

Elizabeth looked at him and nodded. "I do understand. If our places were reversed, I'd be just as cautious." She was aware that McKay, Ronon and Teyla were watching her closely. It hurt her that Sheppard wasn't. "I want to assure all of you that I will do whatever it takes to ease your minds."

McKay couldn't remain silent any longer. "How...how is this even possible? Are you really Elizabeth? You were dead. We saw you--"

"McKay," Sheppard snapped. But he said no more. His tone should have been enough.

And it was.

McKay closed his mouth and didn't say any more.

Elizabeth regarded them carefully. "You want to know why I'm here and if I'm even the Elizabeth Weir you once knew." That familiar tug of a half smile they were all used to tugged at her lips. "The irony is...I want to know the same thing." She looked at Beckett. "That's where you come in."

Beckett nodded at her reassuringly. "I'm all set to give you a thorough examination, Elizabeth. If you're not who you appear to be, I'll know."

"And if she is?" Ronon inquired.

"Then, I'll know that, too." He held out his hand, gesturing to Elizabeth. "If you'll come with me, then...?"

She nodded slightly. "Of course."

Everyone but Sheppard watched them walk away. Sheppard nodded silently to the two guards he had assigned to keep an eye on their new visitor. He felt a lot better when the two men fell into step behind Beckett and Elizabeth.

Teyla looked at Sheppard, frowning.

Sheppard focused his attention on Mace and Staci.

"Alright then," Woolsey began, putting his hands together. "Why don't we take our places at the conference room and get to know one another?"

"Of course," Mace responded with a nod.

"Then, right this way," Woolsey said as he led the way.

_______ _______

Zelenka and a few other scientists were at work in Janus' lab, trying to find out how Atlantis was hijacked and how to prevent such a thing from happening again. One way to do that was to purge every system in the lab. Unfortunately, that option could also delete valuable data from Janus' computers. Since they had discovered the lab due to the help of Dr. Daniel Jackson, there had not been enough time to go over everything.

They were now past the point of making up for that time.

As Zelenka was running a complete diagnosis on vital systems, he was trying to view some of the files Janus had been keeping. Unfortunately, they were all encrypted. None of the files would even open even if they weren't encrypted.

"That was her!" someone exclaimed, shaking his head in awe as he entered the lab with a coworker. "I'm telling you, that was really her!"

The coworker shook her head. "I don't think so, Tony. That's just not possible. We know she died going through the wormhole with those other replicators, and even then, that was her consciousness downloaded into a replicator. So basically, she really has been dead longer than that. Anyway, that woman right now visiting our city is just a look-a-like or something else. I'm telling you, we need to get off this planet as soon as possible. Something is not right here."

"But that looks exactly like her. Even sounds just like her. She said hello to me when we passed them in the hall. Come on! How can you say it's not her, Kate? We've seen a lot of other unexplained things happening while on Atlantis. Why not this? Radek, what do you think?"

Zelenka didn't even look at him. "I think we have a lot of work to do before we can even entertain the possibility of leaving this planet."

"Yes, but Dr. Elizabeth Weir--"

"--Is not our priority. I expect you to focus your attentions on what is."

Kate and Tony exchanged looks, but they went to their workstations and got into their work. At an unoccupied workstation, a small red light suddenly flashed three times rapidly on a control panel. Then, the light became steady until it finally turned off. No one had noticed it.

In space, however, a black ship entered into the system and came to a stop.

_______ _______

Johanson showed up just before the meeting officially started. "I had matters to attend to," he said by way of offering up an excuse. As he took his seat, Woolsey introduced him to Mace and Staci and informed him that Dr. Beckett had taken Elizabeth Weir to the infirmary. Johanson glanced at Patricia and received a nod for confirmation.

"Now," Woolsey began as he sat back with his hands on the table, "let's talk, shall we? I'm sure that you have just as many questions about us as we have of you."

"Actually, we know a lot about you," Staci replied with a smile. She looked at Sheppard and his team with admiration. "We know that you're hero's of the Pegasus Galaxy, saving countless lives from the Wraith. When we learned that you were no longer with us, we lost all hope." She turned to look into Woolsey's eyes. "But then you came back. You've returned and our hope was restored."

Sheppard let out a sigh. "Yeah, about that. It's not that we didn't want to return, but being hijacked was not how I pictured it happening."

Mace leaned forward. "Please understand, Colonel Sheppard, that how you were brought back was not our doing." He paused. "I have already given assurances to Richard concerning the matter. You have absolutely no reason to fear us. We are your friends. Our world is your world. After all, we are brothers, are we not? Are we not all descendants to the Ancestors?"

"That all sounds good, but I'd like to see those assurances first hand before I make any conclusions."

"Of course. Anything you require, it will be done."

Before anyone else could say a word, Woolsey spoke up. "Can you tell us if you know how we got here?"

Staci smiled. "Yes. We do know how you got here." She exchanged knowing looks with Mace. "It was the Ancestors. They brought you here...Just as they brought Elizabeth Weir."

_____________________________________________________________________

_______ _______  
_______ 3 _______

"You're saying the Ancestors," Sheppard began, clearly doubting what they had just been told, "the Ancients themselves are solely responsible for not only our return to the Pegasus Galaxy...but also for the woman's return as well?"

Mace nodded. "I am."

"I don't understand." Staci frowned as she regarded Sheppard. "Elizabeth is your friend, yet you treat her like an unwelcome guest."

"Look, I only know that _that_ woman who came with you claims to be Elizabeth Weir." Sheppard made eye contact with both Mace and Staci, trying to stress his side of things. "I'm not just going to take her word for it, or yours."

Mace let out a small sigh. "I truly regret that we cannot get you to believe the truth. Perhaps in time, you _will_ see us as friends that you can trust."

Woolsey opened his mouth to respond.

Mace held up his hand, halting him. "We understand your resistance. We know what you've been through and know that you do have plenty of reasons to be suspicious. But there is also a lot of things you do not know. In your absence, the Wraith have reasserted themselves as a power to be reckoned with. Worlds that you have helped in the past have been annihilated. The Coalition and the Genii have done all they can to turn the tide...but they are losing."

"What are you doing to help them?" Ronon asked.

Johanson sat back in his chair as he glanced at Patricia. He remained silent, taking everything in.

Mace and Staci exchanged looks.

Sheppard and Woolsey did, too. Sheppard's look told Woolsey that he had no intention of trusting these people whatsoever.

"Are you able to help?" Teyla inquired, always the diplomat.

"We are training an army to fight the Wraith," Mace finally said.

Sheppard glared. "Training?"

Mace nodded.

"Please, you must understand," Staci pleaded. "We have been at peace for a thousand years."

"A thousand years?!" Sheppard couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You've been on this planet - a planet that has been cloaked - for a thousand years? You know about the Wraith and what they're doing and have done nothing to help? How do you expect us to trust you?"

"It's not that simple. The Ancestors placed us on this world for our very survival," Mace tried to explain.

McKay frowned at that. "But you said for a thousand years. We know that this war has been going on for longer than that. The Ancestors left Atlantis millions of years ago, ergo if they are the ones who placed you on this planet, how do you account for such a large gap? What happened to the rest of your history?"

Staci turned to him. "It was destroyed by war."

"Before the thousand year peace," Mace said, "our planet had been ravaged by war. We nearly wiped our very existence out, but some hid underground. When they were able to come back out, they started over. They rebuilt our world into what it is today and we have been at peace for a thousand years."

"This war didn't do anything to the...cloak?" McKay asked.

"The Ancestors have shielded the power source of the cloak from any attempt to disrupt it."

"So...no one's ever even seen it?"

"That's correct." Mace paused. "We survived a war with ourselves a thousand years ago." He glanced at Staci. "Before that, our Ancestors did not want to become an extinct race themselves so with great effort, they placed aside a remnant to survive the attack from the Wraith. They made a way by using great power to shield the very existence of our world from the Wraith. They did this, then they told us that they would make a way for them to return to us, or if not them, then their descendants...like us. They promised that you would return to us in the Lost City. Upon your return, we have been promised that the end of the Wraith would soon follow."

Staci smiled at Woolsey. "We have been waiting for this day to come. Now that we know you're here, we believe the Wraith will soon fall." She looked at the others. "Elizabeth is a part of this. We know she died by sacrificing her own life to save yours from the Asurans. We believe that at her death, she ascended. Now, she has returned. A secret lab under the City of Troye alerted us to her arrival here."

McKay sat up. "Did you say a secret lab?"

Mace nodded once. "Yes. We had no idea of its existence, but as soon as Elizabeth arrived in the lab, a beacon began to emit. That's how we were able to find the lab."

"When you say that Elizabeth arrived," Woolsey began, "what exactly do you mean?"

"We know she simply just appeared. She was on a lab table when we found her." He looked closely at Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and McKay. "You should know this. You were all there. Monitors from the lab reveal that not long after Elizabeth appeared, then so did you four."

"What?!" Johansons exclaimed.

"That isn't possible!" McKay exclaimed. "We were on earth, which is a lot farther than you can imagine. I can't even comprehend how traveling through space from one galaxy to another without a ship or a wormhole can be done!"

"Nonetheless," Mace assured him, "that is what happened. She arrived. Then, you arrived. Moments later, you vanished. We were able to determine that you had returned to your own galaxy to bring Atlantis here."

"Do you know anything else about this lab?" Woolsey inquired. "Like who it belonged to?"

"Elizabeth believes it was once used by someone named...Janus."

Woolsey nodded slowly. "We are familiar with Janus."

"Who does this guy think he is?" McKay snapped. "I swear, this man has a lab in every port!"

"Does that bother you?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard snorted. "Of course, it bothers him because he doesn't have a lab in every port."

"I'm happy with the lab I have," Mckay protested. "With too many labs, you'd be stretched out all over the place. Nothing would be centralized and they would be open for any one to just go right in and take it!"

"Janus' lab, as I recall," Woolsey began, "wasn't exactly open."

"Well...maybe not for you, but it didn't take me long to get inside."

Teyla tried not to smile, amused. "Didn't Dr. Daniel Jackson help you with that, Rodney?"

McKay blinked. "Oh. Yes. Of course. A little. Didn't I mention him?"

"I thought Dr. Jackson was the one who knew about the lab before you did," Ronon couldn't help but point out.

"That may very well be...but I would have found it anyway sooner or later." He turned to Mace and Staci. "This lab is under your city?...Troye?"

They both nodded.

"It is," Mace confirmed.

"I wonder if it is identical to the one we discovered." McKay paused deep in thought. "Something there used an awful lot of energy to transport us back and forth. I'd like to see this lab."

"Of course."

"I'd also like to look at the power source behind your cloaking technology."

Mace and Staci exchanged looks again.

McKay noticed. "Is that a problem?"

Mace shrugged helplessly. "We don't know how to get into the relay stations. Our world has always been cloaked, even during the war, but in all that time, Dr. McKay, we have never been able to gain entrance."

"There are four stations," Staci replied. "Each of them are positioned just so...North, South, East and West. Once, our people had tried to get inside, just to see what it was like...but they had failed. Now...those stations are mostly disguised by the very elements."

Woolsey turned his head. "Perhaps now would not be a good time to look into those relay stations," he said to McKay. "For now, we should focus our attention on the labs."

McKay nodded, but he was sorely disappointed.

"So your people have no idea what is powering the cloak?" Patricia inquired.

Mace and Staci both shook their heads.

"But you've thrived for a thousand years. You've built cities. You do have technology. And you are aware of what is happening in your galaxy. How? Do you have a stargate?"

Sheppard and Teyla exchanged looks. He couldn't believe that someone from the IOA would actually ask a good question.

Mace shook his head. "No. We do not have a stargate. We do, however, have a friend who visits from time to time. He shares information with us and we offer him friendship and hospitality."

"Who is this friend?" Sheppard asked. "Anyone we know?"

"His name is Lenox," Staci replied softly.

Teyla regarded Staci. "How did you come to be friends with Lenox?"

Staci didn't answer and she made no eye contact.

Mace glanced at her as he leaned forward. "He crashed his ship on our planet as he was pursued by the Wraith. He was at death's door when he was found, but help came to him quickly. He was brought to our hospital in Troye where he eventually recovered."

"His wounds were quite severe," Staci added thoughtfully. "During the surgery, we discovered that a device had been implanted to his spine. Removing it had almost killed him..." She swallowed as if reliving a memory she didn't want to. Then, she recovered. "...but as Darren said, he did recover."

McKay blinked. "A runner! You're talking about a runner!"

Sheppard, Teyla and Woolsey turned to look at Ronon.

Ronon simply shrugged, knowing what they wanted to ask. "Never heard of him, but it's nice to know another runner is free."

"Did the Wraith ever come here looking for him?" Woolsey asked.

Mace nodded. "They did. However, since they could not detect our world, they flew their ships in space searching for any sign of Lenox and his ship. After the device had been destroyed, they left our system. That was several years ago. Lenox has been our friend ever since." He exchanged a knowing look with Staci. "He used to come to us every other month to share information with us about what has been happening. He shared stories of your battles against the Wraith; your successes and your failures."

"Well," Sheppard began casually, "we try not to focus too much on our failures."

Woolsey regarded the Athens. "When was the last time you've had contact with this Lenox?"

"Four months ago." Staci couldn't hide her concern which she felt for Lenox. "That was when we were told about how the Wraith were winning the war against the humans in our galaxy. He...promised to return to us again after a mission he was involved in was over." She looked at the surface of the table and swallowed. "He has not yet returned.

Teyla watched her for a moment. Staci looked up from the table and into her eyes. Then, she quickly looked away.

"What mission?" Ronon asked.

Staci paused. "He didn't say."

Ronon regarded her for a moment. "If you're worried about him, don't be. He's a runner. He can take care of himself."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome."

Johanson frowned at Ronon. "They just told us they took the device out of him. He's no longer a runner and neither are you."

Ronon shrugged. "Once a runner, always a runner. Without the device, we're just runners with more freedom. But we're still runners."

The IOA man just looked at him.

Everyone fell into silence, taking a moment to reflect on what had just been discussed.

"Well," Sheppard finally said, "now that we know a little more...we need to come up with a plan."

Woolsey nodded his head. "Agreed. Dr. McKay, you will need a team to check out the lab discovered under the City of Troye. Coordinate with Dr. Zelenka. Maybe the two of you can find out what got us here in the first place."

Sheppard scowled. "Find out what took control of us and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Sure. No problem." McKay sat back in his chair. "Piece of cake."

"Meanwhile," Woolsey continued, "I'll have Chuck assemble another team to work on getting the stargate operational once we can correlate the new point of origin. We'll need to begin re-establishing our own presence in this galaxy and make contact with what allies we still have. And somehow, we'll have to find a way to contact the SGC back on earth."

"Easier said than done," Sheppard replied.

Woolsey turned to their guests. "This army you were talking about...How far have they come in their training?"

"We've begun training once we heard that Atlantis had risen again," Mace responded. "That was five years ago."

"How big is this army?" Ronon asked.

"Ten thousand strong," Mace answered proudly. "With hundreds more enlisting every day."

Staci smiled. "Our people want to get into the fight. We have been preparing ourselves. So please...Trust us. Use us. Let us now do our part."

Sheppard looked at Woolsey.

"We do appreciate your gracious offer," Woolsey assured them, "and we certainly will take it into deep consideration. I can't imagine going up against the Wraith with ten thousand soldiers, but that certainly increases the odds on our side."

"Yeah, sure. Ten thousand soldiers. On the ground. Easy pickings for a culling."

Mace and Staci exchanged looks again, each of them smiling.

"There is something else," Mace began carefully. "We've also had our best engineers at work for several years, even before we learned of Atlantis' rising. At first, we were designing them for simple exploration. When we heard of your fight with the Wraith, we added a team of specialist to add weapons and defensive capabilities."

"What are you saying?" Woolsey inquired.

"We have three ships almost fully operational."

_______ _______

"Elizabeth, I am totally one hundred percent sorry," Beckett pleaded as he approached his new patient who was sitting up on a diagnostic bed. "Please forgive me."

Elizabeth looked at him, puzzled. "Forgive you? Carson, what could you have possibly done that would warrant forgiveness?"

"I doubted you."

She paused. Finally, she offered him a half smile. "You're not the only one who has doubts. I'm afraid I can't forgive you because there's nothing to forgive." She regarded him. "You have discovered something?"

"Yes, I hav. I've discovered that you're not a clone or a replicator. You're not an alien shapeshifter or anything else like that." He smiled. "You're the genuine article, Elizabeth. You are flesh and blood. You have quite literally come back from the dead."

Elizabeth remained silent. She had no idea what to say.

He placed his hand on her arm. "Welcome back, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Carson." She swallowed, trying to keep back her tears of gratitude. "I wasn't sure myself. I mean...how is this even possible?"

"You don't remember how you came to be here?"

She sighed. "I remember floating in space. Then...I woke up lying on a table in a lab." She shook her head and shrugged helplessly. "I don't remember anything else in between that."

Beckett paused in thought. "It's almost been a year since you led the replicators through the stargate, Elizabeth. I think there's only one explanation here. Much like what happened to Dr. Jackson, you must have ascended. Then, you must have done something taboo and they sent you back."

"If that is what happened, I don't remember any of it."

"Perhaps in time, you will. For now, let's go tell the others that you're back. Shall we?"

Elizabeth nodded as she got off the diagnostic bed.

_______ _______

Teyla and Ronon had taken the Athenians for a tour of the city and Patricia went to take care of a private matter while Woolsey, Johanson and Sheppard went to Woolsey's office. They had other things to discuss. Particularly, they had a matter to bring up that they didn't want to share with their guests.

"What do we do about Todd?" Sheppard asked no one in particular as he took a seat.

Johanson, always the Devil's Advocate, had an answer. "Why not just kill him? Why bother keeping him around? He's no good to us. He has nothing to offer."

Woolsey idly picked up a small statue of General George Hammond from his desk, wondering where it had come from and why he even had such a thing. Throughout all that had happened, he had forgotten that Carter had beamed it into his office just before Atlantis left earth. "I beg to differ." He placed the statue on the bookshelf before he turned to face Sheppard and Johanson. "I believe Todd has a lot to offer."

"You have something in mind?" Sheppard inquired, watching Woolsey curiously.

Woolsey leaned back onto his desk and folded his arms in front of him. "Yes, I do. Once the stargate is fully operational, I intend to let him go."

Johanson blinked. "What? Are you out of your mind?"

Sheppard sat up. "I'd hate to agree with Mr. Big Bird here, but I've got to say...That's a bad idea."

"Is it?" Woolsey paused. "I realize he's not exactly trustworthy, but I think it's something we should consider. We let him go under the condition that he owes us one in the future. That way at least we know he's out there and we might be able to use him to our advantage when the time comes. Plus, we don't know what's going on out there and he may be able to gather information for us."

"You're kidding, right?"

"You know I'm not kidding."

Johanson scowled. "Are you seriously thinking about letting that freak go? If you do that, Woolsey, my people will hear about it and we won't let your neglect of duty to Atlantis go unpunished."

Sheppard glared at him. "Oh, what the hell are you going to do? Talk him to death?" He shook his head. "You know what, I think we should let Todd go. I'll escort him to the stargate myself."

"You're making a big mistake."

"We'll send you with him. I'm sure he probably could use a snack right about now."

Johanson glared at him. Then, he turned his glare to Woolsey. "You haven't heard the last of this matter." He abruptly turned and stormed out of the office.

Sheppard shook his head. "He gets on my nerves, but that was fun."

"Actually," Woolsey agreed, "that was. But...Mr. Big Bird?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Something I heard General O' Neill call him. So...are we really doing this? Are we letting Todd go?"

"I believe it's the best option for us. He may prove more useful to us alive than if we kill him, which you know we won't do. We are not executioners under any circumstance."

Sheppard hesitated. "Well...maybe not today anyway. Look, I'll go talk to him and let him know he'll be able to leave soon." He nodded once and headed for the door.

"Colonel..."

Sheppard turned. "Yeah?"

"After that, why don't you head to Troye with Dr. McKay and his team? I'm sure you'll want to see these ships we were told about."

"Sure. I'll take Ronon. Maybe he can check out the soldiers. Give a few pointers. In fact, Teyla could, too."

"Teyla has already requested to remain here until we can link to New Athens through the stargate. She is anxious to learn of their fate. They could be casualties of war for all we know."

"Yeah. Look, I'll check those ships out but you've got to let me know once the stargate is operational."

Woolsey nodded. "I will."

"Thanks." With that, Sheppard left Woolsey's office feeling better now that there were several plans in motion. Things were beginning to come together.

_______ _______

Zelenka thought he was getting somewhere in Janus' lab. He was able to find a link from the lab on Atlantis and the lab under the City of Troye. It seemed to be a permanent link and made stronger by close proximity. He felt confident that answers would be forthcoming soon.

In fact, he discovered another computer link that suddenly came to life.

"Hello," he said, sitting up and looking at his laptop.

"Hello," Tony responded from his workstation.

Kate waved from her station. "Hi."

Zelenka frowned. "What? Stop that. I wasn't talking to either one of you."

"You said 'hello'," Tony pointed out.

Kate shrugged. "We just had to say 'hi' back."

"I was saying 'hello' to the discovery I just made." Zelenka tapped the keys on his keyboard, looking at the monitor intently. "There's another link to this lab...coming from somewhere..." He trailed off.

"Yeah, we know." Tony chuckled. "The link is Janus' second lab under Troye."

Zelenka slowly shook his head. "No...there is a third link and that third link leads to another place."

Kate looked at him, eyes wide with curiosity. "What other place, Dr. Zelenka? Where is it?"

"Somewhere far below us."

________________________________________________________________________

_______ _______  
_______ 4 _______

"Hello, Sheppard," Todd replied casually as he stood in the center of his cell. A half smile played across his face as he watched Sheppard enter his cell. "It is so wonderful to see you again after all this time."

Sheppard stopped and looked at him suspiciously. "Did you get a hair cut? You look...different."

"Perhaps it's all the sitting around I do since my incarceration. There is, after all, no other activities for me to do other than wait." He ignored the guards behind Sheppard. "Tell me, Sheppard...Is the wait over?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Yeah. Sure. Soon enough...you'll be on your way and out of my hair."

"If you don't like me in your hair, than perhaps it is you who should get a hair cut."

"Now that was just downright disturbing."

Todd paused as he regarded his visitor. "Not that I have any reason to doubt your word, Sheppard, but why should I believe you would release me back into the Pegasus Galaxy?"

"What makes you think we're in the Pegasus Galaxy?"

Todd looked insulted. "Oh, Sheppard. It is written all over your face. Besides, I can feel it. We are home. Where we belong. And I imagine you would release me so that we could continue our alliance, which is so full of trust for one another." He was, of course, being sarcastic.

"You know I'd rather put a bullet in you instead." Sheppard paused. "Several of them, in fact, just to be sure. But...Woolsey seems to think that letting you go is our best option." He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Wraith before him. "What do you think? Is it our best option?"

"Well, as I understand our relationship, I would expect that you would want something in return for releasing me."

"What could you give in return, Todd?"

"I could find out what's been happening between my people and yours while you've been away."

Sheppard shrugged. "We probably could find out enough on our own."

Todd smiled. "I do have formidable resources to call upon."

"If you still have those resources."

Todd let out a laugh. "Sheppard, why toy with me? We both know the decision to release me has already been made. But if it should make you feel any better, I promise...As soon as I have any information that would benefit you, I will get it to you as soon as possible."

"Gee, thanks. That would be so swell of you." Sheppard glared at him. "You know if you try anything, I'll kill you."

"I wouldn't dream of it otherwise."

Sheppard paused as he regarded Todd. Finally, he shook his head. "I can't put my finger on it, but there is something different about you. I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll be gone by the end of the day."

"I miss your company already."

Sheppard just shook his head and left him. He had other matters to attend to so by the time he was far enough away from the cell to his liking, he had already pushed the Wraith from his thoughts.

_______ _______

Zelenka followed the link as best as he was able to on his personal laptop. It wasn't as difficult as he had thought it would have been. Once the program had opened back on earth from Janus' computers, it made whoever found it easy to follow and trace. That _whoever_ simply turned out to be Zelenka. He was grateful for the opportunity, especially when McKay was going to Troye. Basically that meant that he was in charge while McKay was away.

Woolsey looked at the monitor and viewed the work that Zelenka had been doing. "Are you saying that Janus has another hidden room here in Atlantis?"

Zelenka shrugged and pointed at the monitor. "That's what it looks like."

"Is it another lab?"

"Well, it really could be nothing more than sleeping quarters. Could lead to his own private room for all we know. We won't know for certain until we find it."

Woolsey paused in thought. "Where is it located?"

"According to this, somewhere directly below us. Far below. However, according to the schematics, there's no indication of any room so we can't say exactly where it's located." He sat back and nodded with determination. "But we'll find it."

"Excellent work, Dr. Zelenka. Inform me the second you do."

"I will."

Woolsey nodded his appreciation and headed out of Janus' lab.

_______ _______

Mace and Staci had been graciously invited to stay longer in Atlantis city, so they offered Sheppard the opportunity to fly the luxury jumper. The inside was wider and could easily seat eight people in the cockpit. The back was bigger as well with more room for supplies. Sheppard felt like a kid in a candy store although he tried hard not to show it. He took his seat and made preparations as McKay, three other scientists who were a part of McKay's team, and Ronon found seats for themselves.

"This is one sweet ride, eh, Sheppard?" Ronon replied, knowing that Sheppard himself wanted to admit it out loud.

Sheppard shrugged as if it didn't matter to him. "It's okay. I've been in better."

McKay snorted. "Since when?"

"What do you mean, since when? I've been at the helm of a ship of the Ancestors. You can't get any sweeter than that, although that ship was a little rusty."

"Well, this one isn't rusty."

Sheppard guided the jumper out of the bay and into the skies. "Okay...I've been directed to take us to their jumper bay where we'll be meeting some people. There'll be a representative from each department. Ronon, you're going with Marc Shiva. He'll take you to see the army they're talking about. Just watch yourself. I still don't trust these people."

"Who am I meeting?" McKay asked.

"Her name is Erin Greye. She'll take you and your team to the lab under Troye. Get your answers as quick as you can. If we need to pull out of here in a hurry, I'd like to be able to do it without having control of Atlantis being taken from us again."

McKay nodded. "Sure. Wait...I'm meeting a woman?"

"Yeah. Do you really have a problem with that?"

He shook his head quickly. "No, no, no, no. Just getting my facts right. That's all."

Ronon grinned. "I'll bet you're just wondering if you'll get a chance to see this Erin Greye naked."

McKay was horrified. "That is absolutely not true! It's also ridiculous! I don't want to see anyone naked!"

"That's too late for Dr. Weir."

"Come on! That wasn't even a long look! It was dark and I wasn't even sure what I was looking at!"

"Dr. McKay saw Elizabeth Weir naked?" one of McKay's scientist's asked.

Ronon nodded, grinning. "Yep."

"I did not!" McKay exclaimed. "I mean, come on, already! It was just a small peek."

"Alright, knock it off, you two." Sheppard shook his head and glanced at Ronon. "You're never going to let him forget that, are you?"

Ronon shook his head, still grinning. "Nope."

"Yeah, well...right now, we've got a mission to do, so let's do it and be quick about it. I'd like all of us to head back in a few hours and compare notes."

"You really believe these people aren't who they say they are?" Mckay asked.

"And you do?"

"They haven't done anything to make us _not_ trust them."

"McKay, they hijacked us from earth."

"They say they didn't."

"I don't believe them."

"Think about it, Sheppard. This just didn't happen randomly. It all happened from Janus' lab. Actually, it happened in each one of Janus' secret labs."

Sheppard frowned. "You actually think that Janus set this in motion?"

"I do."

"But why? If Janus is really behind this, why would he do it?"

McKay shrugged. "Maybe it was an assurance for him, knowing that he could keep Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy."

"Okay, that almost makes sense. But how do you explain...that _woman's_ appearance at the same time we're being hijacked on earth? Is Janus responsible for that, too?"

Mckay paused. "I don't know. Okay, so I don't have everything figured out yet! But I will."

"You'd better. As soon as we know what we're dealing with, we'll be able to come up with a plan...and I have to tell you, I love good planning

_______ _______

"Welcome back, Dr. Weir," Woolsey greeted warmly as he gestured for her to have a seat in his office. "Elizabeth."

Elizabeth sat down and looked around her old office, an office that was no longer hers. "Thank you." She hesitated. "I'm so glad to be back, but...everything is so different. Even many of..." She wanted to say friends. "...the people have changed."

"A lot has changed in a year's time."

"You seem to be doing an excellent job of running Atlantis, Richard. I hope those at home realize that."

Woolsey shrugged. "If Johanson has his way, he would see to it that my reputation would be tarnished."

"From the IOA, that's to be expected."

He nodded. "So..." he began, changing the subject. "You are really Elizabeth Weir."

She nodded. "I am."

"Dr. Beckett tells me you don't remember how you got here."

She shrugged helplessly. "I don't."

"He also seems to think that the same thing which has happened to Dr. Jackson of SG-1 several years ago may have also happened to you. Do you think this is what happened to you?"

She shrugged again. "I'm not really sure if it is what happened to me or not. But...it does seem likely. Doesn't it?"

"You do realize that we must inform the SGC of your return as soon as we're able to. I'm sure they'll want you to go back for a full debriefing and see for themselves."

"How close are you to re-establishing contact with earth?" she asked.

He sat back. "I would like to say not long. We wanted to come back, but our return to Pegasus was rather hurried. We were unprepared, so doing things around here may take longer than usual." He paused. "Elizabeth...what do you know about the Athenians?"

She considered her answer before speaking. "I know as much about them as you do...but I do know that you can trust them."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

He regarded her. "Until we can contact the SGC, could you act as an Ambassador between ourselves and the Athenians? We know they already like you, so they seem to accept you."

She nodded. "Yes. Of course. I'd be happy to."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Elizabeth was glad to help, but she couldn't help wondering if this office would ever be hers again.

_______ _______

Zelenka, Tony and Kate all heard the wooshing sound and they turned to look in the direction from whence it came. Slowly, Zelenka got up from his chair, glancing at the monitor on his laptop as he did so. Leaving his laptop, he moved toward the far wall, stopped in front of it and slowly pushed up his glasses with his middle finger.

"Huh," he said.

Tony and Kate joined him. Together, they saw that a section of the wall had moved aside, revealing a secret compartment. But not just any compartment. This compartment resembled something else.

"It's like one of the lifts," Tony said thoughtfully.

Zelenka nodded, looking at the schematics of the city on the monitor inside the compartment on the wall. "It does indeed."

"Couldn't it be just a closet?" Kate asked.

Zelenka shook his head. "I don't believe so." He moved back toward his workstation to retrieve his laptop. As he returned, he shook his head. "It's just as I suspected. Neither the room below us or this...closet, or even this lab are any where in the designs of Atlantis." He leaned into the compartment for a closer look. "However, the interior design of this closet is quite similar to any of the lifts we've been using here at Atlantis."

"If it's not a closet, why do you keep referring to it as one?"

Zelenka completely ignored the question.

So Kate asked a different one. "Can we get in and see where it takes us?"

"Let's not and say we did," Zelenka answered patiently.

"Well, it has to go to this other room, doesn't it?" Tony asked.

Zelenka shrugged. "In theory."

"Come on! Where else would it go?"

"Someplace flooded perhaps. You know that this city was never fully repaired since we've been here and for all we know, this could take us into a room full of water."

Kate frowned. "How are we going to find out?"

Zelenka paused. "I suppose we could place a camera on the floor and see if the lift floods when the door opens. if it floods...we'll know."

Tony headed for the door. "I'll go get a video cam!"

_______ _______

Sheppard parked in the jumper bay in Troye. He felt like he was inside a large parking garage, but the cleanest one he had ever seen. There were more luxury jumpers than he had ever seen.

The back door opened and everyone followed him out. There waiting for them were three Athenians. Two men and one woman. One of the men looked like a wrestler. _His arms are thicker than McKay's ego,_ Sheppard thought. The woman was hot, there was no mistake there. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes and nice long legs. However, Sheppard knew immediately that there was something completely odd about her...She couldn't take her eyes off McKay.

"Hi!" she practically exclaimed as she thrust her hand out to McKay. "You must be Dr. Rodney McKay! I've heard so much about you and I have to tell you what an opportunity this is for me."

Sheppard and Ronon exchanged looks.

Before the woman could say any more, Sheppard cleared his throat and introduced himself, Ronon, McKay and McKay's team of scientists. Then, he said, "We also are looking forward to this opportunity." _But I still don't trust you,_ he thought.

The wrestler-looking behemoth slapped his hand abruptly to his chest over his heart and then saluted. "Commander Marc Shiva," he said, introducing himself. "This is Dr. Erin Greye and Captain Al Berris. If there are no questions, we can begin the tours immediately."

Sheppard shrugged. "That's fine."

They split up. Ronon went with Shiva to a jumper. Sheppard joined Berris. And McKay and his team followed Erin to a jumper as she talked with excitement in her voice along the way. McKay couldn't jump into any type of conversation with her because she almost seemed not to stop talking even to take a breath.

Shiva and Ronon took a jumper, headed for the skies and flew toward the east. For a short time, they were both silent. Shiva concentrated on flying while Ronon watched the city passing below them.

Finally, Shiva broke the silence between them. "Do you have any questions?"

"Nope."

"You are here to observe and assess, are you not?"

"Yep."

Shiva paused. "What are you looking for in our army?"

Ronon shrugged. "Not much. If they can kill Wraith, that's all that matters."

The big Athenian nodded once. "I hate to admit it...but I am almost ashamed that we haven't done this sooner. When we first heard of Atlantis' rising, only then did we begin to prepare ourselves for war. But before that, all we knew was peace." He paused. "Your Colonel Sheppard does not trust us."

"What makes you say that?"

"I can see it in his eyes. The way he stands. As if at a second's notice, he will suddenly attack."

Ronon shrugged. "He has reservations. We all do."

"You do as well."

"Sure. It's hard to trust people who have been sheltered from the Wraith while everybody else out there is dying."

Shiva nodded slowly. "I...understand your reservations."

Ronon didn't say anything.

"It is my hope that you will like our army. They've been trained well...but they need to be trained by experienced warriors. Lenox and Groh have trained some during their visits, but we haven't seen them in quite some time." Suddenly, he smiled as he pointed out the window at something below them. "There."

Ronon looked and despite those reservations he shared with Sheppard, he couldn't help but be impressed. On the grounds below them, several platoons of men were training. Some were marching. Others were running. Some were facing each other in hand-to-hand combat maneuvers. All of it brought memories to Ronon of his own training.

"Everyone down there," he began, turning to look at the Commander. "They're doing this because they want to fight the Wraith?"

Shiva nodded. "With all of their might."

Ronon was impressed.

_______ _______

The gate was once again operational and with the new point of origin, New Athens was the first to be dialed. Teyla took a team with her to re-establish contact with her people. Woolsey was happy that something had gone right for them for a change. At the moment, however, he was not happy with Major Lorne's recent discovery.

They walked together, heading for Janus' lab.

"You're certain their nowhere to be found anywhere in the city?" Woolsey inquired.

Major Lorne shook his head grimly. "It's as if they vanished."

"How many are unaccounted for?"

"Six."

"And you're certain that they were all with us after we left earth?"

Lorne nodded. "According to several witnesses, yes."

Woolsey frowned. "Well, I can't say that I like this news at all. What could have happened to them? Where are they now?"

"We've used the internal sensors and haven't been able to locate them anywhere in the city. Our investigation reveals that they're just not here. Period."

Woolsey stopped walking. "Unless..."

Lorne stopped as well. "Unless...what?"

"Unless they're in an area of the city that our sensors can't penetrate."

"Where would that be?"

"Dr. Zelenka thinks he may have discovered another hidden room somewhere far below us. I'm heading to Janus' lab to check on his progress."

They arrived at the lab where Zelenka, Tony and Kate were watching a video on Zelenka's laptop.

"I don't think it's flooded," Kate was saying, "but it sure is dark down there."

Zelenka nodded in agreement.

"What are you looking at?" Woolsey inquired.

Zelenka glanced at him, noticing Lorne's presence. "We sent a video cam to the secret room, but can't tell what's in there because it's too dark. At least - as Kate has pointed out - it isn't flooded." He sat back. "I think it's time we go see for ourselves."

"Excellent. We arrived just in time then."

Zelenka moved toward the wall with his laptop. He keyed in a code and the wall opened up, revealing the transport chamber. He entered it with Woolsey and Lorne joining him. As if the chamber sensed their presence, it closed.

Woolsey looked around. Usually, there were obvious controls to operate, but in this transport chamber, there were no such controls present. "How do we operate this?" he asked.

Zelenka grinned. "The chamber itself doesn't exactly move."

"It doesn't?" Lorne asked.

"No." He entered another code into his laptop.

There was a bright flash. Then, nothing.

"What the hell was that?" Woolsey demanded.

"We were just transported," Zelenka assured him.

As if on queue, the chamber opened. The three men looked out into a very dark room.

Zelenka leaned into the room. As he did, light began to come to life, brightening the room. They stood there, stunned by what they saw. It was a lab, but it was bigger than any they had ever seen on Atlantis. It was bigger than the infirmary. There were four empty rooms to the right and four empty rooms to the left. What those rooms had been used for was anyone's guess. To the rear of the large open room, there was a sudden bang, followed by a deep hum. As they stared in awe, a large panel slid up and for the first time in a long while they were able to see the ocean just outside the city. A large snake-like beast swam by at an incredible rate of speed.

Woolsey swallowed. "Out of every expectation that I've had for what was down here...this wasn't one of them."

_____________________________________________________

_______ _______  
_______ Epilogue _______

"Chuck, where is Mr. Woolsey?" Sheppard wanted to know as he entered the Control Room. His mind was still going over what he had seen hours ago in a private facility hundreds of miles out of Troye. By the time he had returned to Atlantis, a whole day had passed and he was exhausted.

However, tired or not, there was still plenty to do.

Chuck answered as he turned from his workstation. "Mr. Woolsey is in Janus' new secret lab with Dr. Zelenka."

Sheppard frowned. "Did you say there's a new secret lab?"

Chuck nodded. "I did."

"Oh, crap. Every time we find something like that, trouble soon follows. So McKay didn't make this discovery. It had to have been Radek."

"It was. They've been in there for most of the day. Mr. Woolsey doesn't recommend swimming out there in the ocean."

Sheppard shrugged. "Wasn't planning on it, but why not?"

"Something about giant snakes."

Sheppard paused. "Oh. Well, that's good to know. Anyway, that's all just great. But why is Mr. Woolsey still down there anyway? I thought administration was more his thing. Not science."

Chuck shrugged. "I don't really know. You should ask him."

"I'll do that. But first..." He adjusted his earpiece. "Major Lorne..."

 _"Go ahead, Colonel,"_ came the quick response.

"Better go fetch Todd so we can get him on his way."

 _"I'm on it. We're already on our way."_

Sheppard grimaced. "Great." He saw Johanson, Patricia and Doreen coming up the stairs and let out a sigh. Doreen didn't look happy at all, but she was IOA. None of them were ever happy unless every one else around them was miserable. "Swell," he muttered. "Look who's joining the party."

"Colonel," Johanson growled as he placed himself directly in front of Sheppard, "I strongly advise you to stop this course of action. Letting that monster go is a grave mistake."

Sheppard shrugged indifferently. "Yeah, well, I feel the same way about keeping you around, but that's out of my hands. Not that I haven't given it much thought, because I have. Soon as I come up with a solution to that, you'll be the first to know."

"I don't like your tone."

"I'm not really concerned with what you like or don't like. If you'll excuse me, I've got some more important matters to attend to."

_______ _______

"Colonel Carter, we're coming out of hyperdrive," Walter announced unnecessarily as the George Hammond traveled through space.

Samantha was standing in front of the large windows, watching the hyperdrive corridor stretch out before them. Suddenly, the view changed in an instant and they were out of hyperdrive. Space looked very large when the stars weren't whipping past at an alarming rate. It was full of stars.

She frowned.

That was the problem. All she saw were stars. There wasn't a planet in sight.

"That signal we were tracing..." She let out a sigh. "I don't understand. General O' Neill assured me that it would lead us straight to Atlantis. The natural assumption then would be that we would find Atlantis on a planet or possibly even adrift in space. But there's nothing here."

"There has to be something, Colonel," Walter told her.

"But there's nothing."

"There has to be. We're still getting the signal loud and clear." Walter looked up from his workstation. "They should be right in front of us."

Samantha squinted her eyes and tried to search for any sign of Atlantis or a planet...but there was nothing.

_______ _______

They dialed up a planet that Todd had mentioned to be a neutral location. He and Sheppard stood in front of the open stargate while behind them, Lorne and several marines stood by. They were prepared for anything.

Todd smiled wryly as he took in the wormhole at the center of the stargate. Slowly, he turned to face Sheppard. "So...this is good-bye."

Sheppard shrugged. "Until we meet again." He leaned forward. "Just remember what we talked about."

"I assure you, John Sheppard, anything you say to me is never something easily forgotten."

"Great. It's so nice to know you think about me. Believe me, I think of you all the time, too." He paused. "We've shared a very fragile alliance with each other for a long time."

Todd bowed his head in agreement. "Indeed, we have."

"We both know it's not going to last."

"What is that saying on your world, Sheppard?" He smiled. "All good things must come to an end."

"This has never been a good thing, but it will end."

"And when it does, you'll what? Kill me?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Maybe. I certainly won't rule it out."

"Perhaps it will be I who kills you." He smiled and leaned closer, as if to speak in confidence. "Or perhaps something most unexpected will happen. We might actually become...friends."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "You've overstayed your visit."

Todd continued to smile. He bowed his head once again, turned and stepped into the gate. Seconds later, the gate closed and Todd was finally gone.

"You just made a big mistake," Johanson said from the stairs, shaking his head in disgust.

Sheppard ignored him as he headed up the stairs back to the Control Room. As he did, Chuck was waiting for him. "Colonel, we've just made contact," Chuck informed him.

Sheppard stopped. "Contact? With who?"

Chuck pointed to his monitor.

Sheppard came around the workstation and was astonished to see the smiling face of Colonel Samantha Carter. "Son-of-a-bitch!" he exclaimed. "How did you find us?"

 _"General O' Neill gave a gift to Mr. Woolsey just before you left,"_ Samantha told him.

He couldn't stop grinning. "You tracked us."

 _"Yes, we did. Colonel Sheppard, we're here to help. However, it would help us if we could actually see you."_ She waved her hands, helpless. _"If you'll turn off the cloak, we'll be better able to assist you."_

"Sam...Atlantis isn't cloaked."

 _"It isn't? How can that be? We can't see you."_ She shrugged. _"We can't see Atlantis at all."_

"Atlantis isn't cloaked...but the planet we're on _is._ "

The look of astonishment on Samantha's face was priceless.

_______ _______

The silent observers in their black ship had completed their task. They had observed the arrival of the George Hammond. They considered that to be the signal for them to leave. They moved far out of range, opened a hyperspace window and disappeared into it.

_______________________________________________________________________  
________________________________________________________________________


	3. Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lanteans are settling into their new home on the homeworld of the Descended Ones, but it isn't long before problems begin to arise. A discovery leads to an investigation into the true purpose of the IOA's presence and Sheppard begins to lose his temper. A new head of Atlantis arrives to make some changes. And the Athens step up to the plate to help the Lanteans catch a traitor.

___________________________________________________________________________

Prologue

Teyla Emmagan had a smile of merriment on her face as the Stargate closed behind her and Ronon Dex.  Being back in the Pegasus Galaxy felt so right to her.  She really couldn't imagine it any other way.  It had been nice visiting for a time on the homeworld of the people from Atlantis, but...she wouldn't want to live there.  It just wasn't home to her.  Atlantis _was_  home to her as long as it was in Pegasus.  The sense of belonging was stronger for her than ever before, especially with two wonderful weeks spent visiting her own people at New Athos.

Ronon was glad to be back as well, but with each passing day, one thing became very clear.  He was itching for a fight with the Wraith.  He wanted one in his sights.  He wanted to blast it into oblivion with his blaster or skewer it through with his sword.  He didn't care how he killed the Wraith.  As long as there were Wraith to kill, he had a purpose.

"Well," Colonel John Sheppard said as he stood by, waiting for his team members, "don't you two almost look refreshed."

Teyla's smile didn't go away, but she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head.  "Almost...?"

"Okay.  You look fully refreshed.  Ronon, you look only sort of refreshed because you've also got that other look."

"The ' _I wanna kill a Wraith_ ' look?"  Ronon shrugged.  "I have that look every day.  That's nothing different."

Sheppard nodded once.  "That's true.  At least you seem more relaxed than usual.  Your visit to New Athos seems to have gone well."

Teyla couldn't stop smiling.  "It was wonderful."

"Any problems with the Wraith?"

"My people live inside a narrow valley where it is easy for them to hide underground.  When they had first arrived to settle, the Wraith did visit, but they were unable to cull.  They haven't made any appearances for several months."

Sheppard smiled.  "That's good news."

"Where's McKay?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard let out a sigh.  "He's in Woolsey's office complaining about something.  God only knows what's eating at him this time."

"Aren't we expecting new personnel to come from the SGC through Midway II?" Teyla asked.  "Dr. Keller being one of them?"

"We're getting new personnel some time today.  I don't think Dr. Keller's coming though.  At least, I haven't heard otherwise."  He waved them on.  "Come on.  Woolsey's expecting us."

The three of them headed up the stairs and toward Woolsey's office.  As they approached, they could clearly see Rodney McKay and Richard Woolsey going at it.  A third person, however, stood between them as if she were trying to avert a war.  It was Dr. Elizabeth Weir.

Teyla glanced at Sheppard and wondered why he had made no mention of her.  Since Elizabeth's return, Sheppard seemed agitated by the events that brought it about.  He seemed to be avoiding Elizabeth at every opportunity.  Teyla could not understand why and she intended to find out.  She shared a look with Ronon and realized he was aware of Sheppard's behavior as well.

As they continued their approach, they could hear what McKay was shouting about.  It was quite possible that every one in the Control Room was able to hear him.

"You want me to back over there and _apologize?!_ " McKay exclaimed.  "For what?!  I did nothing to provoke them!  They simply reached a decision and demanded that I leave!"  He waved a finger in the air.  "They weren't very nice about it eithor.  They said some rather nasty things that I would never say in mixed company!"

"Surely you must have done something to upset them," Woolsey replied, glancing at the new arrivals.

"Why must have I done something?  I didn't say anything!  I didn't do anything!  Yesterday, they treated me like a disease.  This morning, they told me to get out!"  He sighed.  "And I was making progress, too."

Sheppard focused on McKay, turning away from Elizabeth.  "Are you telling me the Athens kicked you out of the lab in Troye?  Is that what this is all about?"

McKay turned his head.  "Yes."

"They kicked you out...? What about the rest of your team?"

Mckay let out a sigh. "Peters and Wilcox got kicked out, too."

Woolsey paused as he considered that. "You didn't mention this before."

"Oh? Why? Does that really make a difference? So if I had been the only one who was kicked out, it would have been my fault. But kick out a few others right along with me...?"

Ronon shrugged. "It could easily still be your fault."

McKay glared at him. "Why is everyone so quick to point fingers my way whenever something happens?"

Elizabeth stepped forward before anyone else could respond. "Rodney, are the other members in your science team still in Troye?"

"Yes. They are. And they're making...very little progress." He paused. "Little. Because I'm not there to do the work that needs to be done and any progress I have made is halted because of this nonsense!"

Woolsey suddenly became interested. "Really? So you know what enabled you and the others to travel through galaxies _and_ what brought Atlantis back to Pegasus?"

McKay frowned. "Well...no...but it's not a coincidence that the labs found under Troye and the labs found here on Atlantis are completely identical. In every way. I'm sure that whatever transported us originates from the two smaller labs." He pointed to Teyla, Sheppard and Ronon. "We were in the small lab - Janus' lab - when we were transported. We wound up in the small lab under Troye. The connection is there." He suddenly frowned. "I just can't find anything that looks like a device capable of doing what it did."

"Nothing like a transporter deck to stand on, you mean?" Sheppard inquired.

McKay looked at him as if he had two heads. "A what?"

"You know...like on Star Trek."

"No. Nothing like that." He frowned. "A transporter deck...like on Star Trek? Really?"

"I'm trying to help."

"Try harder, or better yet, don't try at all. Look, the answer is inside those two labs. Somewhere in there, there is a device capable of transporting people across galaxies. And as I've said before, I believe Atlantis came back to Pegasus because it was never meant to leave. Some kind of failsafe brought it back here, and us with it."

Woolsey looked skeptical. "Well, work on it from Janus' secret lab, Dr. McKay. If the two labs are similar, then I'm sure you'll find the answer there if anyone can."

"Can we stop calling it _'Janus' secret lab'_?" Sheppard inquired. "I'm pretty sure the secret's been out for a while now." He straightened. "What about the bigger lab? The one deeper under the city. The one you and Zelenka discovered."

McKay beat Woolsey to the answer. "Also identical to the one found under Troye."

"That's just weird," Ronon growled. "Two small labs. Two bigger ones. Under Troye and on Atlantis. What are they for?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"You do that," Woolsey told him. "Dr. Weir and I will try to find out why you were told to leave Troye. I'd like to prevent that from happening again."

"I would have preferred it not happening at all, but it did."

"I shouldn't need to remind everyone that it is imperative we establish relations with the Athens at all costs. When we get back out there with the Wraith, it would be nice to have friends on our side. At the moment, however, we need to regain our focus. Once personnel and supplies have been sent to us, we'll be able to be more efficient. In the meantime, let's not antagonize the locals."

McKay sighed irritably. "I didn't antagonize anyone!"

Woolsey ignored the outburst. "Colonel Sheppard, what is your assessment of the Athens?"

Sheppard shrugged. "It's still too early to say."

"You are starting to like them," Teyla accused teasingly.

"They grow on you. Still, there are a lot of Athens we haven't met. We don't know everything about them."

Elizabeth watched him closely. "We do know some things."

Sheppard nodded once. "Some," he agreed reluctantly. He turned to Woolsey. "I've seen their ships, but they're not yet fully operational. Their army seems to be a force to be reckoned with, but they're not...seasoned. Still, I promise to keep an open mind about them. I'll just hang onto my reservations until I can fully trust them."

"They're not hiding anything, John," Elizabeth said, trying to make eye contact with him. "They are exactly who they seem to be."

He nodded, not entirely looking her way. "I know they are. They're people who have been sheltered from the Wraith while every one else out there has been herded along like cattle to the slaughter."

"Did you really expect them to just go out there and join in the fight? They weren't ready. They still aren't. John, they've known peace for a thousand years. They don't know what war is!"

"With all due respect, that's a load of crap! They were more than capable of doing something before we came along. All they were doing was hiding!" He let out a sigh. Then, he said, "They say they want to help, right?"

She nodded. "Yes. They do want to help."

"You're sure about that?"

"I am."

Sheppard nodded grimly. "Good. Because they're going to help. If that's what they really want to do, we'll find out one way or the other."

"What exactly are they going to help us do?" McKay asked. "Fight the Wraith?"

"They're going to help us get ready."

Woolsey regarded him. "Ready for what?"

Sheppard looked at him. Then, he realized that everyone was watching him. "Look, if we do this right, we can beat the Wraith once and for all. We have just been given a huge tactical advantage. We have a new base from which we can launch a full scale assault against the Wraith. They don't know we're here. They don't even know about this planet. If these people are serious about wanting to help us, then I say that soon it will finally be time."

"Time for what?"

"Time for us to take the war straight to the Wraith and shove it down their throats!"

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Bill Parkhurst and Mike Keeney were not just Marines. They were grunts, and as grunts, they specialized in two things. Shooting at targets - moving or still - and blowing things up. When they weren't doing either one, however, they took to other tasks...Like inventory.

At the moment, they were charged with going through every storage area to make an exact inventory of every item they possessed on Atlantis. They weren't the only team to do such a tedious task, but they were the only team who made the morbid discovery.

"Man," Parkhurst complained as he and Keeney entered their eighth storage room, "this sucks! Just give me a gun and a Wraith to shoot at and I'd be a whole lot happier. Anything's better than this!"

"You've never shot a Wraith before," Keeney told him, glancing at the mini-laptop he was carrying. He also held a scanner for scanning every visible label on every crate they found. "You've never even seen one before. Except for the one they let go through the gate a few weeks ago."

Parkhurst shrugged. "So what? You've seen one, you've seen them all, right? And if you kill one...well, that's a start, isn't it? I know this is our first tour out here, but I didn't expect to be doing inventory like some kind of a Walmart associate! The only inventory I want to rack up is how many Wraith I kill."

"Look, we're out here in the Pegasus Galaxy now."

"Your point?"

"I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities later." He began to scan labels. "Pretty soon, we'll be keeping score, and I'll be the one who kills the most Wraith."

"Man, you couldn't hit the side of a Hive ship if it was right in front of you."

"Sure, I could. I'll bet I could blow one up. Kill a whole lot of Wraith in one move."

"You're dreaming."

Keeney suddenly let out a sigh of frustration. "Oh, man! Who the hell stacks these crates so damned high like this? I can't reach the labels on those two boxes up there." He shook his head. "And that one needs to be opened! I don't see a label on it." He placed the laptop and scanner down onto a crate. "Give me a hand, will you?"

Parkhurst smiled and clapped his hands.

Keeney glared at him.

Together, the two Marines worked on getting the top crates onto the floor. When they got the final crate onto the floor, Keeney began to open the crate that wasn't labeled.

Something caught Parkhurst's attention. "Hey, there's another door back here. Behind all these crates. Wouldn't have noticed it if you could have gotten to all the labels."

"I'm not tall, you know. I can't reach the top ones." He tapped the crate he had just opened. "And this one doesn't even have a label. Someone isn't doing their job."

"You're such a little girl." Parkhurst chuckled as he shoved more crates aside to get at the door. "Yeah. You're not tall. You're just short and round...and close to the ground."

"Sure. That may be." He flexed his arms. "But this is all muscle, capable of flattening you to the ground so I can use you as a rug."

"Yeah, you can tell that to yourself if it makes you feel better." He opened the door and immediately gagged.

A horrible stench poured out into the storage area. Parkhurst backed away, putting his hand over his nose and mouth. Keeney made a face and looked toward the open doorway. The strong odor made him think of death.

"Oh, God!" he exclaimed. "What died?"

Parkhurst shook his head. "Not what. _Who._ A lot of _who's_ by the look of it."

What was behind the door Parkhurst had opened was a small closet packed tight with a stack of corpses that literally looked as if their lives had been drained from them.

________________________________________________________________________________

1

Something had happened. Sheppard received a distressed radio call from Major Lorne, asking him to meet at one of the main storage rooms. Something in Lorne's voice told Sheppard that something was wrong. Whatever it was, the Major wasn't willing to make an announcement over the radio. Sheppard excused himself and turned to leave Woolsey's office with his team.

McKay, however, wasn't going with them. He headed for Janus' lab to continue with his work. He was close to finding the answers he sought.

Unknown to the others, Elizabeth followed. She had to quicken her pace to keep up. "John," she called out.

Sheppard and the others kept walking. Teyla glanced at Sheppard, trying to get an impression from him. His face, however, revealed nothing.

"John...?"

This time, there was a tightening of his jaw and something like anger flashed in his eyes. But still, he didn't slow down for a second.

_"John!"_

That did it. He came to an abrupt stop, let out a loud sigh of irritation and turned to face the woman who wouldn't stop calling out his name. "I don't have time for this," he muttered under his breath.

Teyla placed her hand on his shoulder. "John..."

He brushed her off. "You and Ronon keep going. I'll catch up." His eyes were on Elizabeth as she made her approach with hesitation in her steps. He had hoped that she would just give up if he continued to ignore her, but she was persistent. She always had been, so he gave her that.

Teyla nodded once. Then, she and Ronon continued on their way.

Sheppard waited as Elizabeth continued her approach toward him. The hesitancy was now gone. She looked determined.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, she said, "I hoped we might talk."

He shrugged. "I've been busy."

"You've been avoiding me."

"Okay. Sure. Maybe I have been avoiding you. But I've still been busy and I've got some things going on right now that can't wait."

She looked into his eyes, trying to understand him. Once, she had known him, but now..."Why are you pushing me away? John, since I've been back, you haven't even looked at me unless it had to do with Atlantis or the Athens. Why are you angry with me?"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for this conversation." He began to turn away from her.

"Make time!" she snapped in frustration at his retreating back. "Your indifference to me is...It hurts, John. And I want some answers."

He let out a sigh as he stopped. He turned around to face her. He was struggling with his emotions and it showed on his face. It was evidence of what Elizabeth's return was doing to him. He swallowed. "I've already lost you more times than I can count."

She shook her head. "Oh, well...I guess that explains everything. So what you're telling me is that since you've lost me more times than you can do math, you've decided to write me off completely. You can harden your heart against me all you want to, John, but you are not the only one who has lost so much. I've lost a lot, too. In fact, I lost everything. Including you, it seems."

He looked into her eyes.

She didn't look away.

"I can't lose you again," he said softly.

"You won't," she promised.

He held up a hand. "I _won't_ lose you again...because you're not Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

She frowned in disbelief. "I _am_ Elizabeth Weir. You know that I am."

"Then, tell me what it is that you're doing here."

She sighed. "I don't understand. You want to know what I'm doing here? I'm trying to open relations between us and the Athens. You already know that."

"Right," he replied with a casual nod. "So...what are you really doing here, then? Politics with the Athens? A simple bureaucrat?" He shook his head. "That doesn't sound like the Elizabeth Weir I know."

She looked puzzled. "What are you saying?"

"You don't have any interest in Atlantis any more, do you?"

"What? Of course, I do. John...if you're suggesting that I should be fighting with Richard for my old job back, you--"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. The Elizabeth I knew would do everything she could to get the reigns back! _You_...have done nothing. It's like we're the ones who died to you. There's no fight in you. So you do your thing...and we'll do ours. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got things to do."

Elizabeth watched him turn and walk away. She had nothing more to say, but a lot to think about. On the balcony above, Woolsey had seen and heard everything.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

McKay frowned. He actually wanted to glare but decided that although staring wasn't exactly polite, it did feel safer somehow. He believed if he glared at whatever it was that was watching him, it wouldn't take kindly to his attempt at an intimidating glare. He really didn't want to stare either, but he discovered to his dismay that he simply could not bring himself to look away.

He considered this to be a peculiar dilemma.

He had used the transporter from Janus' lab to get to the bigger lab Radek Zelenka had discovered. He hadn't been there for more than five minutes when he felt as if he were being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck had literally stood on end. Having turned to investigate the source of this feeling, he had made an astonishing discovery...and he didn't like it one bit.

The large windows on the south wall made it possible to see the deep of the ocean. Floating in front of one of the large windows was the biggest snake McKay had ever seen. It was also the strangest snake he had ever seen. It's long body and tail appeared every bit like a snake. The head, however, was more like a dragon.

McKay couldn't shake the concept, no matter how bizarre it seemed.

A small dragon head...on the body of a giant snake...And it seemed to be looking right at him. Was that thing grinning?

He didn't like it at all.

"Rodney...?"

McKay still couldn't bring himself to look away. "Hmmm...?"

Zelenka stepped beside him. "What are you doing?"

McKay sighed. "I'm having a staring contest with a giant snake! What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Actually, that's a lot what it looks like you're doing. Having a staring contest with a snake." He shrugged. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea to be doing that."

"He started it!"

Zelenka pursed his lips in thought. "I see...He?"

"Okay...It!" McKay looked concerned. "What does it want? Why is it staring at us?" He suddenly had a terrifying thought. "Can that thing get in here?"

Zelenka shook his head. "I highly doubt it."

"I don't want your doubts, Radek. Only certainties! Can it get in here or not?"

"Look, the windows are incredibly thick and I'm certain it can't break through, so I believe without a doubt that we're completely safe from any type of giant snake apocalypse."

"Really?" McKay paused in thought. "What about the drains?"

Zelenka blinked. "The drains?"

McKay sighed in irritation. "Yes, the drains. Every city on every planet has them, otherwise we'd all be in over our heads with water and sewage. I don't think it would be considered a wonderful time if one of those snakes found its way into the city through the drains. Would you?"

"No. You're absolutely right. That would be a horrible time."

"We need to get someone on that. Maybe we can activate the shields and push these snakes away from the city. It would also be a good idea to have someone in a Jumper to take a closer look. Maybe there's something other than giant snakes out there."

Zelenka frowned. "I think you're becoming overly paranoid, Rodney."

"It's still staring!" McKay snapped.

"Maybe they're harmless."

"Are you serious?" McKay pointed at the snake still floating in front of the window. "Look that thing in the eyes and tell me you believe it to be harmless!"

Zelenka looked. He frowned. "Perhaps you're right. We should get someone on that." He turned and started to walk away.

"Wonderful! And while you're at it..." He waved his hands toward the windows. "Could we close the panels? I can't work if that thing is going to keep staring at me!"

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Harris Johanson hadn't been given any type of office since Atlantis had returned to the Pegasus Galaxy. That made him feel as if he were being intentionally slighted. He didn't like being overlooked in any way. It was just like being slapped in the face. After all, he was a very prestigious VIP inside the International Oversight Advisory and single-handedly brought in many successes to the organization. He wasn't going to stand for any type of mistreatment.

Days after Atlantis' return, he and his two Marine sidekicks went into an occupied office on the terrace and claimed it for the IOA. The original occupants had been given a choice. Leave on their own accord or be tossed off the terrace balcony and into the deep blue sea far below. They had wisely chosen to vacate the premises at once.

It was in that office where Patricia Manor and Johanson were having a discussion when the two Marine sidekicks barged in unannounced. The truth about the Marines, however, was that they were not actually Marines at all. Johanson had mercenaries for hire who did his bidding for profit and James Bollinger and Jerry Averill were only two of those mercenaries. Posing as Marines, they had been _"ordered"_ to see to the safety of the IOA members on Atlantis.

However, that was not their real mission.

"I did not hire you people," Johanson snapped, "to interrupt important meetings. You'd better have a damned good reason for this!"

"We do," Averill assured him.

Bollinger nodded once, offering confirmation. "They discovered the bodies."

Patricia turned pale. "What? Oh, my God!" She turned to Johanson in desperation. "Remy, I thought we had more time!"

"Obviously, we don't." Johanson let out a sigh, irritated and frustrated at the sudden turn of events. "Okay...This is a setback. That's all it is. We'll just have to wait for another opportunity."

"But...but all of our planning! Everything we were working for since we've been here! It's all been for nothing! We're not even ready! Now our opportunity will be lost and we'll never get another chance!"

"We _will_ get another chance. That's why we have to leave Atlantis."

"What? Leave?"

Averill frowned. "Do you really think that's necessary? There's no way they'll be able to link the bodies to us. We should be able to remain and complete the mission." He shrugged. "All we have to do is wait for this to blow over."

"Blow over?" Johanson looked at him with disgust. "You're an idiot if you think we'll be overlooked in the investigation that will follow. Sheppard isn't stupid. He'll come to the truth if he hasn't already."

"But the camera's in the cell--"

"Zelenka or McKay will see right through that tampering in no time at all."

"Look," Bollinger began, "we're _not_ idiots."

Johanson glared at him. "Debatable...but what's your point?"

"Even with the tampering of the camera's, there's still no direct link to you. Why would Sheppard have any suspicion toward you at all?"

Johanson shook his head. "Have you ever heard of a gut feeling, gentlemen? Trust me. Colonel Sheppard will figure it out. Go get Stills and bring her here. It's time we put her to good use."

The mercenaries left the office in a hurry, intent on finding Doreen Stills at all costs.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Whatever it was that had been discovered in the storage room, it was bad. Sheppard could tell just by the way Major Lorne, Ronon and Teyla were waiting at the main entrance. Their stances were tense, their faces were grim and their weapons were at the ready. Ronon's grip on his blaster was so tight, his knuckles were white. Sheppard was relieved the weapon was pointed at the floor.

As Sheppard approached, he had a bad feeling. Without a word, he passed the others and entered into the storage room. To the right, he saw that crates had been moved aside to reveal a door. A few Marines were standing at attention, waiting for orders.

Sheppard slowly moved forward. A powerful stench of decay almost made him gag but he resisted the urge. When he saw the bodies, he instinctively knew what had been the cause of their deaths.

"Wraith," Ronon said in a low growl from behind him. "They were fed upon."

Sheppard hadn't realized the others had followed him in. He moved closer to the pile of bodies in the tight closet to get a better look. The bodies had been completely drained of all life...and that really pissed him off. They were now nothing more than emaciated corpses. Their shirts had been torn at the front, exposing their chests. Sheppard could clearly see the wounds where the Wraith had fed from.

Six bodies.

He swallowed hard. "Son-of-a-bitch!"

"How could this have happened?" Teyla demanded. "There were no Wraith on Atlantis but Todd. I would have felt them if there were. I would have known!"

"Maybe they were shielded from you," Lorne offered. "What I'd like to know is...where are they now? We've got to find them before they can alert the other Wraith out there that we've returned."

"No." Sheppard shook his head, glaring at the bodies. Silently, he blamed himself for letting this happen, but there was going to be payback. He guaranteed it. "There are no Wraith on Atlantis. Teyla's right about that." He slowly turned to face them. "All we had was Todd." He took a deep breath, trying to keep back his growing rage. "And we just let him go a few weeks ago."

Ronon frowned. "You think Todd did this?"

"I _know_ Todd did this, but I'm sure he had help. Someone fed these people to him."

"What?!" Teyla was horrified. "Colonel, are you certain of this? Having the Wraith on Atlantis is bad enough...but what you're suggesting is..."

Ronon grimaced in anger. "Wraith worshipers."

"But... _who_ would do such a thing?"

"Only one person comes to mind," Sheppard told them. He turned his head and looked down at the bodies. "I recognize these people. They're the ones Doreen Stills told us were missing. They're the interns. At least they were. IOA interns." He took a deep breath, glaring. "These people didn't come here to learn how to become effective members of the IOA. They came here - whether they realized it or not - to be fed to the Wraith. That being the case, there's only one course of action to take. We've got to get Johanson and lock him up right now. Then, we'll find out what he's really doing on Atlantis!"

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Both Darren Mace and Staci Coh will arrive in a few hours," Woolsey told Elizabeth in his office. "It does appear that something came to their attention, which needs to be addressed immediately."

"Did they tell you what it's about?" Elizabeth asked. "Did our people do something to offend them in any way?"

Woolsey paused as he considered what she had just said. She did still consider every one on Atlantis as her people. _That shouldn't be surprising,_ he realized, _because it was_ still _true._ "No, they didn't tell me what had happened," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Their tone, however, was grave. The sooner we find out what happened, the quicker we can do something about it. As it stands, we're simply in the dark on this matter."

"Maybe we should talk to Rodney. If he explains to us what they were doing before they were asked to leave, maybe it would give us some insight."

From the Control Room, a technician crossed the bridge and leaned in through the doorway. "We're getting incoming travelers from Midway II. New personnel and supplies will be arriving."

Woolsey rose to his feet. "Wonderful. We should go out to greet them."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, putting on her best diplomatic smile. "Of course."

Elizabeth and Woolsey crossed the short bridge and walked through the Control Room to get to the stairs. As they were heading down the steps, the even horizon had settled within the Stargate. A brief moment later, people began to emerge through the Stargate, bringing with them supplies.

"Elizabeth," Woolsey said, "there's something you need to do while I begin the meeting with Darren and Staci."

"Shouldn't I be at the meeting when it starts?" she inquired suspiciously. "Richard, you're not telling me something. What is it?"

He hesitated, noticing that the last of the travelers were coming through. "Someone from the SGC is coming here to see you. To talk to you about your...experience."

She blinked. "My experience?" She let out a sigh. "I still don't know how I was able to come back. I won't have anything to say because I don't know anything about what I may or may not have experienced."

"If that's the case, them it could prove to be a very short visit. Nevertheless, you should try to remember. Talking about it may help you recall something from your experience. And from what I've heard, the man coming to see you has had a similar experience himself." He waved his hand toward the Stargate.

Elizabeth turned to look. She saw the last man exiting from the Stargate. With a loud _whoosh_ , the event horizon collapsed and disappeared altogether. She was surprised to see that the man standing there looking up at them was none other than Dr. Daniel Jackson himself.

________________________________________________________________________________

2

Elizabeth and Woolsey stepped down the rest of the stairs as Jackson moved forward to meet them. He smiled, taking in the familiar surroundings. The last time he had been to Atlantis was when McKay had helped him to locate Janus' secret lab. It felt good to be back.

"Welcome to Atlantis, Dr. Jackson," Woolsey greeted.

"Thank you," Jackson responded. "It's always a pleasure to get a chance to visit. I wish I could do it more often. I didn't get the opportunity while you were on Earth." He turned to face the woman beside Woolsey. He shook his head, amazed by what he saw. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Elizabeth shrugged hesitantly, a half smile appearing on her face. "With what I've been through...I suppose I should be."

"But here you are. Dr. Elizabeth Weir, in the flesh. You know, with the things we've seen and done in our line of work, nothing should surprise us any more."

She nodded in agreement. "Where would we be without a surprise or two? It keeps us young."

"Or we get grey hair...or we go bald."

Woolsey puzzled over that. "How do we become bald?"

"By pulling our hair out. Believe me, there's been a lot of rhetorical hair pulling going on since that first day we found the Stargate." He smiled at Elizabeth. "So...you and I have a lot to talk about. We seem to have something in common."

She hesitated. "Dr. Jackson...I have no memory of what happened to me so I'm not really sure there's anything to discuss. I'm afraid you came here for nothing."

"Listen, I had no memory of what happened to me either. At least, in the beginning, but eventually, it all came back." He nodded knowingly. "It _will_ come to you. You just have to give it some time." He turned to Woolsey. "How is everything else going? Have the Wraith discovered you're back in Pegasus? Any replicators show up at your door? Are the IOA behaving themselves?"

"We're fine," Woolsey assured him. "The Wraith don't know we're here. They're not even aware of this planet's existence due to the massive cloak. As for the Asurans, we may never see them again. The IOA, on the other hand..." He spread his hands a part in a gesture of hopelessness. "...that is an entirely different matter."

"How so?"

"Many of the interns have been reported as missing. We're looking into it. In fact, I'm waiting on a report from either Major Lorne or Colonel Sheppard as to something discovered in one of the storage areas. Hopefully, that discovery will be the missing interns." He paused. "I do have another matter of importance to attend to. I'm expecting a visit from our new friends from Troye."

Jackson waved a hand at him. "Say no more. Go see to your new friends while Elizabeth and I have a little....talk."

Woolsey glanced at Elizabeth. "Very well. I will see you both later today." He nodded at them and then, walked away.

Jackson turned to Elizabeth and smiled. "So...what shall we talk about?"

She shrugged. Since she had no memory of her experience of returning, she had no idea what they were to talk about.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Excuse me...can I have a moment of your time?"

Chuck turned from his workstation in the Control Room only to find Patricia Manor standing next to him. Very close next to him. So close he had to push his chair out to put space between them. He didn't mind her being so close. Great legs. Nice smile. Long black hair a man could run his fingers through. He blinked and shook his head. He was, after all, on duty and he had a sneaking suspicion that she actually liked Zelenka.

He cleared his throat. "What, uhm...uh...what can I do for you?"

She leaned toward him. "Where is Radek?"

"Radek?" he inquired, trying to keep focused. She smelled good, too. "Uhm...Zelenka? You mean...Dr. Zelenka?" He rolled his chair back a few more inches.

She stepped a little closer. Any closer, she would be on his lap. She nodded, smiling. "Yes. I mean...Dr. Zelenka. Have you seen him? Do you know where I might find him?"

He swallowed. _Why was she getting so close?_ "Oh! Where is Dr. Zelenka?" He nodded knowingly. "Right...Right! You want to know where Dr. Zelenka is!"

She nodded helpfully, glancing behind him at the monitor he was working at. "Yes, I do. Please."

"Okay. He's...he's in Janus' lab. The second one. Underneath the first one." He stared at her, wondering what they were talking about. Then, he remembered. "You have to get to the first lab to get to the second one."

Patricia saw what she had been waiting for. It was there for only a few seconds. It was a silent alert that flashed at the bottom of the screen and then it was gone. She continued to smile. "Thank you. I'll just go over there and see if I can find him."

He returned the smile and watched her walk away. Then, he shook his head in wonder. "Dr. Zelenka...I didn't know you had it in you."

Above the Stargate, no one had noticed that the skylight doors had opened and then, closed a short time after.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"That's it!" McKay shouted triumphantly, staring happily at the configurations on his laptop. "That has to be it! I am a genius! Of course! It's the only thing that makes perfect sense!"

Zelenka looked over at him from his workstation. "What does? Did you figure out how we got here?"

McKay opened his mouth to answer but suddenly found himself staring at the closed panels.

Zelenka shook his head and let out a sigh. "The giant snake can't see you, Rodney. Did you find out what happened?"

"I know how we got here. That is...I know how I got here with Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon. There's only one possible explanation for the four of us to be able to travel across galaxies. I should have seen it sooner."

"Do you want to tell me what that was?"

McKay smiled triumphantly. "A wormhole."

"A wormhole?" came a familiar voice from behind them. "Are you certain?"

McKay and Zelenka turned to see Woolsey making his approach. He had just entered the lab from the transporter lift.

McKay wore a smug expression as he responded to Woolsey's inquiry. "I'm very certain. In Janus' lab above us, I detected some strange anomalies in the floor, walls and ceiling. I haven't confirmed this yet with the lab in Troye but I'm certain it will have the exact same anomalies. The interesting thing to note here is that there are some readings I get in Janus' lab that match readings from the Stargate itself."

Zelenka and Woolsey stared.

Woolsey took a step closer. "Are you saying there is a Stargate in each of the labs? That's how the four of you were able to travel between galaxies?"

McKay shook his head. "No, no, no. It's not a Stargate of any kind. If it were, it would have wreaked havoc with the Stargate in the Control Room. The anomalies are not _that_ exact. There are a few minor differences I'm looking into. What I can tell you is that it created a small wormhole. Not a stationary one. It's like we were standing in a row boat and someone pulled the cork out of the bottom of the boat. Then, we were sucked in."

Zelenka frowned. "If you pulled the cork from the bottom of a row boat, wouldn't the boat simply fill up with water?"

McKay glared. "Well, okay...maybe it does, Einstein. The point is...It was a wormhole small enough to get us back and forth between galaxies."

"Would you be able to do it again?" Woolsey asked.

"I seriously doubt it. I probably could get it to work, but I'd only be able to link back to the lab in Troye. The two labs are connected. Any where else just wouldn't be possible."

"Great work, gentlemen." Woolsey nodded his head approvingly.

McKay sighed. "Great work _gentlemen_? I'm the one who figured it out." He pointed at Zelenka. "All he did was stand next to me!"

Zelenka rolled his eyes. "Yes, Rodney, because I'm always hopeful that the closer I get, the more your genius will rub off on me."

"As much as I enjoy these visits," Woolsey began, trying to contain any further outbursts, "I did come here for another purpose. Dr. McKay, I'll be receiving a visit from representatives of Troye very soon. I was hoping to get just a bit more insight as to what happened in the lab in Troye."

McKay sighed impatiently. "We already went over this. I don't know why they kicked us out."

"There must have been something that set them off. I seriously doubt they kicked you out just for kicks."

"Look, if I knew why, don't you think I...?" He stopped. His eyes widened in sudden understanding. He snapped his fingers several times. "It's the gene! The gene of the Ancestors! Peters couldn't use anything in the lab because he doesn't have the ATA gene. When we were asked about it, I simply told them the truth. Some of us have it, some of us don't. And some of us were given the gene." He frowned. "That has to be it."

Woolsey paused in thought. "If they start thinking we don't belong in Atlantis because of this, that could become a problem."

Zelenka frowned. "I think we may have another problem." He pointed.

"It's not the snake, is it?" McKay asked as he and Woolsey turned to look.

It wasn't the snake.

It was Doreen Stills who had just exited from the lift. She approached them hesitantly. Her hands were at her sides, but in her right hand was a gun. She gripped it in nervous tension.

"Dr. McKay..." she said, trying hard to keep her voice calm. She swallowed. Then, she raised the gun and pointed it at McKay. "I've been looking for you."

"Me?" McKay sighed. "Why me?"

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

The search was on. All military personnel via radio were ordered to find Johanson and apprehend him. Sheppard, Lorne, Ronon and Teyla checked the IOA man's quarters and found no sign of him. They didn't find him at the IOA office on the terrace either.

Sheppard used his radio to check on the progress of the search. No one had seen Johanson or Patricia. They couldn't locate the Marines who had stayed with him. The report on the search was bad and it did nothing to improve Sheppard's foul mood.

"I want men positioned at the gate and the Jumper Bay," Sheppard snapped, not happy with the search efforts. "No one comes or goes any where until we catch this son-of-a-bitch!" He let out an angry sigh, trying to get into Johanson's head. "Where would I go if I was a scum sucking rat like Johanson?"

Lorne shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea. Manor's quarters have been checked. No sign of either one of them there."

"What about Janus' lab?" Teyla suggested.

Sheppard turned to face her. "Why would Johanson want to go there?"

"Maybe to find a way off Atlantis. Perhaps he means to try the same method of travel we did."

"We didn't find it. It found us." He nodded. "But you're right. We should check it out. You and Ronon do that. Major Lorne, you and I will head for the Control Room."

They let the office, each pair heading off in opposite directions.

On their way to the Control Room, Lorne glanced at Sheppard. "What do you intend to do with Johanson when we catch him, Colonel?"

Sheppard's jaw clenched with anger. "I know what I'd like to do." He paused. "We catch him, lock him up and then...we'll hand him over to the proper authorities back on Earth. One way or the other, he's leaving Atlantis."

"If he _is_ responsible for the deaths of his interns--"

Sheppard stopped and turned to glare at Lorne. "Thay're not deaths, Major. What happened to those interns was cold-blooded murder. Johanson _is_ responsible and we'll have proof of it soon enough. He's going to pay for what he did. And when we're through with him, we're going after Todd."

"Colonel, I don't disagree. But Mr. Woolsey may want to salvage our alliance with Todd."

Sheppard shook his head. "That's not gonna happen, Major. As of today, there will be _no_ alliances with Wraith ever again. Period." He abruptly turned and continued heading for the Control Room.

Lorne followed after him, suddenly concerned about Sheppard's growing rage.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Something was up and Patricia knew what it was. They were looking for Johanson...and they were looking for her. She ducked out of sight as several Marines hurried down the corridor toward the Stargate. She looked around the corner to view the grand alien circle. She had to keep it in sight. All she had to do was not get caught.

She touched the earpiece she wore. "Rem..."

 _"Go ahead,"_ Johanson's voice responded in her ear.

Patricia wondered how he could sound so calm. "Where are they?"

 _"They're coming,"_ came the answer. _"She's with him now. It won't be long."_

She nodded even though she was aware he wouldn't be able to see the gesture. Then, she did the only thing she could do. She waited.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

With the events happening on Atlantis unknown to them, Jackson and Elizabeth each got a cup of coffee and went out onto the terrace outside the Control Room. They didn't think anyone would disturb them any time soon. They had their own issues to work out.

"Ascension is an amazing thing," Jackson said as they stopped at the railing overlooking the ocean. "It's the only thing common in our galaxy at home and here in Pegasus. The Ancestors did get around a lot, didn't they?"

Elizabeth smiled. "So it would seem."

"You know I was ascended."

"Yes."

"Did you know that I ascended...twice?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Really? You ascended twice?"

"Yep. I was also one with the Ori once...but that's a whole other story and was just plain...weird. Anyway, when I came back the second time around, I remembered most of what had happened to me and what Oma had done. She took a lot of big risks and wasn't afraid to. She bent the rules as far as she could. Unfortunately, those bent rules eventually caught up with her and she paid for them at a costly price."

"If I understand correctly from your first experience, Oma helped people to ascend. The others like her frowned on that, didn't they?"

Jackson shrugged. "They strongly disapproved but allowed her to continue on.

"You outright bent the rules yourself when you went up against Anabus."

"Yeah. There were...other things going on at the time that was considered as interfering. I didn't just bend the rules. I broke them in half...and then I broke them all into tiny little pieces."

"You started the search for Atlantis."

"I did...That all feels like another lifetime ago. The point is...I came back. I became a member of SG-1 again. It was hard at first. There were some adjustments to make, but I managed." He smiled at her. "You will, too."

Elizabeth sighed as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally, she said, "Daniel...when you came back the first time, you must have had some memory of your experiences."

He shook his head. "Only vague impressions. Nothing I could really hold onto as a memory."

"That's just it. I not only have no memory of how I returned, I don't even have any vague impressions. One moment, I'm floating in space, away from a Stargate. The next, I'm lying on a table in a bright white lab. I have absolutely no recollection of anything that occurred in between."

"Let me ask you a question. Do you think it's possible that you ascended and then were sent back?"

She shrugged helplessly. "It's possible, yes, but I have no way of knowing if that _is_ what happened."

"A lot of people believe that is what happened."

"That's all well and good. It really is, Daniel, but how do I find out for certain? How can I be sure?"

He regarded her for a moment. Finally, he shrugged. "Your memory will return. Until then...you're just going to have to be patient."

"Were you patient?"

He paused before answering. "Ah....No."

"In the meantime, what am I supposed to do?"

"What do you want to do?"

She frowned and let out a deep sigh. "I...I don't know. I..." She stopped. She shook her head. "Nothing. Forget it."

He smiled knowingly. "You want your office back, don't you?"

She looked out at the ocean. "That office is occupied."

"But you do want it."

She turned to him, frowning. "What is this? First, John wants me to fight for an office that is no longer mine. And now you."

"Well, I'm not actually telling you to fight for it, but you have to admit. He has a point."

"Daniel...it's _not_ my office."

"Just admit it. You want it to be."

She looked at him. "Okay. Fine. Yes. I want my office back, but it's Richard's now."

"Richard."

"Yes."

"That would be Woolsey."

"Yes." She looked at him suspiciously. "You know this, Daniel. What's going on?"

Jackson made a face. "Yeah," he said, turning to look at the ocean. "You see, about that...That office does belong to Richard...sort of."

"What do you mean, sort of?"

"Look, what I'm about to tell you has to be kept between us. At least, for now." He paused. "The IOA isn't happy about the way Atlantis left Earth and they want Richard Woolsey removed."

Elizabeth stared at him. "What?" She frowned. "Who do they want to replace him with?"

He hesitated. "With me."

She stared again. "You?"

"Yeah. But, ah, there are conditions and General Landry - and also General O' Neill - have recommended that I --"

The doors suddenly opened and Sheppard stepped out onto the terrace, interrupting them. "We've got a serious situation. Where the hell's Woolsey?"

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Ronon and Teyla discovered a problem in Janus' lab. Two distraught scientists - Tony and Kate - were in the middle of reporting an incident as they entered the lab.

Tony thrust the radio into Kate's hands. "Thank God you finally got here! That woman is out of her freaking mind!"

Ronon looked at Kate doubtfully. "What makes her crazy?"

"Not me!" Kate protested. "The woman from the IOA. I think her name is Dora. Dorothy?" She frowned. "Or maybe it's Dolly. I don't know! Whatever her name is...she pulled a gun on us and transported to the lab below us!"

Teyla let out a troubled sigh. "It's Doreen. Doreen Stills." She shook her head. "She does not seem the type for violence. Are you sure it was her?"

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed harshly. "She pointed a gun at my head and told me she'd blow it off if we didn't get her down there!"

Ronon looked at Teyla. "Seems violent enough to me." He looked around the room, his weapon at the ready. "Okay. Where is this transporter lift? Open it up and send us down."

"We can't," Kate said, frustration in her voice. "She's locked us out. We've tried to open it, but it's not working!"

Teyla tapped her earpiece. "Colonel Sheppard, we've got a problem."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Put the gun down," Woolsey said calmly, looking into Doreen's eyes as he slowly took a step toward her. "I'm usually a very good judge of character and I can see that you do not want to follow this course of action."

She swallowed hard. "Stay back!"

Woolsey stopped moving.

"Dr. McKay...Please...get your laptop and come over here. _Now!_ "

McKay sighed deeply, but he grabbed his laptop. "Leave it to the IOA to make matters worst," he muttered. He reluctantly made his way toward her. When he got close enough, he glared. "What now?"

"What do you want me to do?" she snapped angrily.

McKay stared at her. "What do I want you to do? Is that a trick question? Because I want you to put the gun down and apologize!"

Woolsey shook his head. "She's not talking to us. She's wearing an earpiece."

"Who's she talking to?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Zelenka retorted. "How are we supposed to know?"

McKay rolled his eyes. "It was rhetorical!"

"Shut up!" Doreen snapped, aiming the gun right at McKay. "Move to the transporter lift with me. Slowly! You're going to work some of your technical magic."

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

Together, they moved toward the transporter lift. Doreen allowed McKay to enter first. As she was getting in, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She had no idea what caused the movement, but her reaction was caused by pure adrenaline and nervous tension. She instinctively turned and fired her weapon.

At first, nobody moved and everyone stared. Doreen couldn't believe it. Just when she was beginning to believe that no one got hit, Woolsey stumbled backwards and slumped to the floor with his back against one of the workstations. He left a trail of blood streaking along the side of the workstation.

Zelenka hurried to his side. "Mr. Woolsey!" he exclaimed.

Woolsey didn't answer. He tried to. He opened his mouth...and then coughed up blood.

"Oh, no," McKay said, staring in horror.

Tears in her eyes, Doreen pressed the gun into McKay's side. "Get the damned doors closed. Now!"

With no choice, McKay closed the doors. He couldn't help but wonder if that was the last time he would ever see Richard Woolsey again.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

_"What's happening, Teyla?"_ Sheppard demanded over the radio.

Teyla and Ronon were positioned in front of the closed doors of the transporter lift with their weapons at the ready. Kate and Tony stayed back and out of the way, watching with apprehension.

"Doreen Stills has gone to the other lab," Teyla responded. "She's armed but her intentions are unknown."

_"Can you and Ronon get in there?"_

"No. We're locked out."

Ronon shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We wait for her to come back up. As soon as the door opens," he twirled his blaster like a typical gunslinger, then pointed it at the door, "I'll stun whoever comes out."

"We're waiting for Doreen to come back up," Teyla reported to Sheppard. "Ronon intends to shoot first and ask questions later."

 _"Sounds like a plan,"_ Sheppard's voice came back. _"While you wait, see if one of those tech's can get the damned thing open!"_

Teyla turned to look at Kate and Tony. The two scientists hurried to their workstations and made themselves busy.

"They're working on it, Colonel," Teyla reported.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

_"They're working on it, Colonel,"_ Teyla reported through his radio.

Sheppard was in the Control Room, looking at the monitors in hopes of tracking Johanson's movements. "Keep me posted," he said. To Chuck, he let out a sigh of frustration. "This doesn't really help us, does it?"

Chuck glanced at Lorne, Jackson and Elizabeth. He shook his head. "It wouldn't anyway. Any one of the blips on the screen in any area of the city could be Johanson. Unless he was a Wraith, we'd never find him this way."

"Crap. Gotta get McKay to design some kind of an IOA detector." He shook his head. "Those people are more trouble than they're worth."

"I'm sure that's not true of all of them," Elizabeth said.

Sheppard turned to glare at her. "You know every experience we've had with the IOA never turned out well. And now we find out that one of them has turned out to be a Wraith worshiper."

Jackson watched them thoughtfully.

"John," Elizabeth began, tilting her head, "we don't know that for certain."

Sheppard waved a hand in the air. "He brought interns to Atlantis whose soul purpose was to be on a menu for Todd! Why else would he deliberately bring them to him and let him feed?"

"Do we know he's directly responsible?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

Elizabeth stood her ground. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but where is the proof? The powers that be at home are going to want proof."

"With due respect, they're not here! We are. If it's proof they want, I'll get it for them. Right now, I just want to get Johanson. By the way, if he isn't guilty, why is he hiding?"

"Have you also considered that he could be a victim?"

"No. I haven't considered it."

"Why not?"

"Because he's responsible for it!"

Jackson raised a hand. "Excuse me. I have a question." He paused as they turned to face him. "Why didn't Johanson - or whoever is responsible for, uhm, feeding Todd - dump the bodies off from any of the terraces?"

"The timeline for these disappearances," Lorne began, "occurred when Atlantis was traveling through space. If the bodies had been dumped over while the city was traveling, there would have been an alarm."

"Right. Got'cha."

"Anyway," Sheppard said, glancing at Jackson as if he realized his presence for the first time, "we've got every area covered. Johanson is hiding, but we'll find him." With grim determination, he said, "He's not getting out of this city."

There was a sudden loud click, followed by a familiar deep hum. Below the Control Room, the Stargate began to move and chevrons began to lock into place.

"What the hell?!" Sheppard shouted. "Lock it down!"

Chuck moved to Atlantis' version of the DHD and tried to stop it. He shook his head in frustration. "Controls are not responding!"

"Well, get them to respond!"

It was too late. The last chevron locked into place and the wormhole stabilized. Sheppard and Elizabeth ran over to the balcony and looked down. Sheppard then glanced up, expecting the overhead doors to open and allow entrance to a Jumper. When that didn't happen, he exchanged a puzzled look with Elizabeth.

"Who opened the Stargate?" he demanded.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash in front of the Stargate. McKay and Doreen appeared. She held a gun pressed into his back.

"Rodney!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Before anyone could do anything else, Patricia came out of hiding. "Go!" she shouted. "Go!"

Doreen pushed at McKay and they disappeared into the event horizon. Right behind them, Patricia followed. Sheppard was about to turn and find out the address the IOA women took McKay to when a familiar voice spoke from his radio. It was Johanson.

_"We'll see you around, Sheppard."_

"John!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Sheppard turned around and stared in astonishment. A Jumper had decloaked from above the Stargate. It hovered for a few seconds, but then it moved into position and flew directly into the event horizon. The Stargate shut down.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Sheppard exclaimed.

He couldn't believe it. Johanson and those who had helped him were gone. And they had taken McKay with them.

________________________________________________________________________________

3

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Sheppard cursed out loud as he headed toward Chuck who was in front of the DHD. "Tell me you got the address on that!"

Chuck nodded. "We got it. It's the same exact address we sent Todd through when we let him go."

Sheppard let out a sigh of frustration as he pressed a button on the radio at the closest workstation. "Teyla...Ronon. Double time it to the Jumper Bay. We're heading out."

There was no response.

He glared as Jackson and Elizabeth joined him. He tried again. "Teyla...Ronon! I need you both to join me in the Jumper Bay. Do you copy?"

Again there was nothing.

He was about to try for a third time when Teyla's voice finally came through. However, he didn't expect to hear what she had to report. None of them did.

 _"Colonel..."_ Teyla responded, her voice sounded strained, _"Mr. Woolsey...he's been shot."_

"Shot?" Sheppard shook his head. "What do you mean, he's been shot?"

 _"Doreen Stills had a gun and she used it to take Rodney by force."_ There was a pause. _"Richard...he tried to talk to her but when he moved toward her, she panicked and fired her weapon. He's on his way to the Infirmary right now but, John...he doesn't look well."_

Sheppard swallowed. This day just couldn't get any worst.

Elizabeth put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God."

Sheppard paused as he considered the possibilities of their next course of action. It was bad, but they had to do something. Finally, he said, "It doesn't change anything. We still need to go after that..." He stopped himself, and then continued, "...Johanson and we need to get Rodney back. We're not going to let him fall into the hands of the Wraith." In his radio, he said, "Your orders still stand, Teyla. You and Ronon get to the Jumper Bay. Now."

Her response was quicker. _"We're on our way, Colonel,"_ she acknowledged.

Elizabeth glared at Sheppard. "Don't you want to know how bad Richard's condition is?"

"He's been shot. That's bad enough," Sheppard snapped impatiently. "I can't do a damned thing for Woolsey except go after the person who shot him. That would be Doreen Stills, who happens to be with Johanson...And they've got Rodney!"

"So you're just going to dial up the address and charge after them without thinking things through?"

"I am thinking things through! I've already made my decision. Look, with Woolsey out of it, that puts me in charge. And my team is going after Rodney to get him back."

Jackson held up a hand. "Ah...actually...that would be me."

Sheppard looked puzzled. "What would be you?"

"I'm in charge."

"What? Since when?"

"I'm in charge," Jackson said again, and then added, "since I got here. I'm here to replace Richard." He put his hands together and hesitated. "It's temporary. But anyway...there it is. I've been briefed by General's O' Neill and Landry. I was going to announce it under...better circumstances, of course, but, unfortunately, that isn't going to happen."

"Wait a minute..." Sheppard began, shocked by what he was hearing. "You were sent here with orders to replace Woolsey?"

Jackson nodded once. "Yes, I was...but there's no time to get into all of that right now. As for your plan to pursue the bad guys and rescue the, uhm...mad scientist, you have a go."

Chuck cleared his throat. "Excuse me...Dr. Jackson. The Athens are arriving in a Jumper."

"By all means, give them clearance."

As Chuck carried out Jackson's order, Elizabeth turned to Sheppard and Jackson. "If Commander Shiva is on that Jumper, perhaps you should invite him onto your team."

Sheppard sighed. "I don't have time-"

"As I understand it," Jackson interrupted, "we're still developing relations with the Athens...Right? That being the case, Elizabeth's suggestion is a good idea."

"Fine," Sheppard snapped. "Anything else?"

"No. That's it. Just...don't stay out to late. There is a curfew."

Sheppard gave him a look before he left the Control Room.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Sheppard decided that two teams were going through the Stargate because someone somewhere said that two was always better than one. He and Commander Shiva took the _luxury_ Jumper the Athens had arrived in. Three Marines joined them. Teyla and Ronon entered a Jumper from the Bay with Major Lorne and two Marines. Lorne piloted the Jumper.

Sheppard and Lorne piloted the Jumpers out from the Bay and directly into the event horizon of the Stargate. They headed for the address Johanson had used to escape from Atlantis. They came out on the other side where the land was green and plentiful and the sky was blue.

"Better cloak," Sheppard said into his radio headset.

 _"Copy that,"_ came a response from Lorne.

One Jumper cloaked and vanished from sight.

A short time passed. Loren said, _"Colonel, why haven't you cloaked?"_

Sheppard turned his head to give Shiva a look. "Why can't I get us to cloak?"

Shiva shrugged. "What's a cloak?"

"What's a cloak? Are you kidding me? You really don't know what a cloak is? It's a device that makes the Jumper invisible to the Wraith! Are you telling me this luxury Jumper doesn't have a cloak?"

The big man frowned. "Sorry. It, ah...doesn't become invisible."

Sheppard let out a sigh. "Major Lorne...apparently this isn't a military luxury Jumper. It's a family minivan, for crying out loud!"

 _"Sheppard,"_ Ronon's voice came through, _"we're getting another Jumper on our sensors. Do you see it?"_

Sheppard thought about it and the sensors came online. At least it had that capability going for it. A few miles ahead of them was the Jumper Johanson had taken. It was set down in a small clearing beside a river.

"Lorne...stay cloaked and up in the sky. I'm going to take us down and have a look." He glanced at Shiva. "Just out of curiosity...is this thing even armed?"

Shiva shook his head.

"Well, the good news is there doesn't appear to be any Wraith ships nearby." He frowned at the sensors. "But...Johanson is transmitting a signal from the Jumper he took."

"We can jam it," Shiva told him as he worked at his console.

"Yeah? You don't have a cloak or weapons, but you can jam radio frequencies."

Shiva shrugged. "We'll work on the rest."

"I sure as hell hope so."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Jackson and Elizabeth had met with Darren Mace and Staci Coh in the Jumper Bay. Jackson had introduced himself and told them there had been a new development. He explained briefly what that development was as he led them all to the Infirmary. He left nothing out. He shared every detail and as he did, he couldn't help notice Elizabeth watching him with a look of misgivings.

Once they were in the Infirmary, Jackson asked for a detailed report on Woolsey's condition.

A nurse tried to offer one. "Dr. Beckett is in surgery with Mr. Woolsey right now." She glanced at Elizabeth, a look of uncertainty on her face. "I can't tell you anything. I'm sorry. Dr. Beckett will contact you when he's able to, I'm sure."

"See to it that he does," Jackson said. He turned and waved a hand toward the door. "This way, please."

On their way out, Zelenka was coming into the Infirmary.

"Have you been told how Mr. Woolsey is doing?" he asked, concerned.

"He's in surgery," Elizabeth said, placing a hand on his arm. She offered a smile of encouragement. "He's in good hands, Radek."

Zelenka nodded. "Of course, he is. I couldn't agree more."

Jackson stepped into the conversation. "Excuse me, Dr. Zelenka, but since you can't do anything here, perhaps you could go back to the project you were working on. Weren't you trying to solve a mystery about what brought Atlantis back to Pegasus in the first place?"

The scientist nodded. "Well, yes...And actually, we do have a couple of sound theories as to how it all happened. We were in the middle of going over it...when Doreen Stills showed up with a gun." He paused. "It all happened so fast."

"John went after Dr. McKay," Elizabeth told him. "He'll get him back."

Zelenka remained silent, but then he nodded. He turned and headed back to the labs. Jackson led the others to the briefing room. In the Infirmary, inside one of the operating rooms, Dr. Carson Beckett was in a fight to keep Richard Woolsey alive.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Sheppard set down a good distance away from the stolen Jumper. He ordered one Marine to stay with the luxury Jumper while he, Shiva and the other Marine began to make tracks with their weapons ready. They were close to the Jumper Johanson had hijacked but not close enough to be in range.

"McKay is our priority," Sheppard told them. "After we get him, then we'll get the others."

Shiva was a big man, but he moved with surprising agility. He reminded Sheppard of a professional wrestler like Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson. "Do you think they'll put up a fight?" Shiva asked.

Sheppard considered it. "Johanson and his two mercenaries might be a problem. There's also two women and McKay, and one of those women have shown us they are willing to take lives. I know they grabbed a pilot, too, because someone flew that Jumper out here. We just have to be ready for anything." He glanced at the big guy. "If you're squeamish about firing that P-90..."

"I'm fine. If I have to, I'll be ready to use force."

"Good. 'Cause that's what we're going to have to do if it comes down to it."

Teyla's voice came through on their headsets. _"Colonel Sheppard, we have a problem."_ There was a slight pause. _"A hive ship and two cruisers have just entered orbit of the planet."_

"Crap!" Sheppard glared up at the sky as if he could will the Wraith ships to explode. "Okay, people! Let's double time it!"

But they were too late.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Before we move on," Mace began, exchanging a look with Staci who sat beside him at the table in the conference room, "allow us to express our heartfelt sorrow in regards to Richard's crisis. It is our hope that he recovers. He seems like a good man."

"Thank you," Elizabeth responded with a reassuring smile. "He _is_ a good man...and that is our hope, too."

Jackson wanted to add to that as well, but he decided it would be best to set the conditions into place. He had tried to explain them to Elizabeth. Unfortunately, time had not permitted it. He began to realize that it would be better for her to experience the conditions for herself rather than for him to explain them.

It was time to put things into motion.

Inwardly, however, he was also hoping for Woolsey to recover. He agreed that Woolsey was a good man.

"Yes, yes," Jackson replied, putting on the appearance of a man who was running out of patience and was just getting bored, "that's all well and good. And I suppose we appreciate your _kind_ words, but let's get right to the matter of why you're really here, shall we? As I understand it, there was some kind of problem with our people in your labs, and... _you_ booted them out." He put his hands together and leaned forward. "Do you want to tell me what that is all about?"

Elizabeth turned her head to look at him. She could not recall ever seeing Jackson act so abrupt...and downright rude. Mace and Staci exchanged concerned looks.

Mace hesitated, uncertain of how to handle the situation when he knew nothing about Jackson. His first impression was not favorable. At first, he didn't know how to respond. Finally, he decided to just come out with it. "Some of your people," he began carefully, "have been discovered as...not being directly related to the Ancestors. Our scientists found this to be true when one of your men was unable to use our technologies. When he was asked about it, his response was...well, most unexpected."

Staci nodded once. "He explained something to us about something called the ATA gene and how it didn't work for him like it worked for others."

"Right." Jackson regarded them. "So...why exactly is that a problem?"

Mace paused. "I'm sorry, Dr. Jackson, but our people are direct descendants of the Ancestors."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've already heard that about you. So...?"

"I don't think you fully understand the consequences to us finding out about this gene you've produced, because I assure you...there will be consequences. If word gets out that many of the inhabitants of Atlantis are not descendants, there will be trouble."

Elizabeth looked concerned. "What kind of trouble?"

Mace and Staci exchanged another look between themselves.

"Tristian Salvador," Staci replied softly.

Jackson frowned. "Who or what is a Tristian Salvador? Is that an actual person or a kind of salsa? Is that name supposed to provoke us to be fearful?"

"He's a powerful man," Mace explained. "A prominent member of the Council. Highly respected. Many people listen to him." He paused. "He has been the only member of the Council to speak out against you."

"Really?" Jackson turned to Elizabeth. "Have either you or Mr. Woolsey been made aware of this before?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. This is the first I'm hearing of it." She let out a sigh. "What are you telling us? What trouble can this Salvador bring us and why is he against us?"

"Oh, he's not against you personally, Elizabeth. He's concerned about you because you are a sign that the Ancestors are still with us." Mace leaned forward. "He's against everyone in Atlantis. He does not trust your people here. He wants you to show proof that you're descendants or leave."

Jackson nodded thoughtfully. "If he wants us to leave, that can be arranged."

Staci shook her head. "Wait. Please. We don't want you to leave. We know that many of you here are descendants. We understand that. Salvador is only one man, and even if he tries to bring you trouble, the Council is still for you. We still want to help you fight the Wraith."

"There won't be any repercussions for this," Mace assured them, "I promise you that. I spoke with Dr. Erin Greye and she has agreed to keep this incident under wraps. In fact, Salvador doesn't even know about it. And Dr. McKay and his team can return to complete their work."

"Really?" Jackson said, looking at them as if they had just insulted him. "You make it sound so simple."

"It is that simple."

"No. It isn't. Your people insult mine and then expect us to forget about it like it never happened."

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Dr. Jackson..."

He completely ignored her. "If you really want to help us, then you will allow Dr. McKay and his team not only your full cooperation...but you will let them be in charge."

Mace hesitated. "That...won't be a problem."

"Great. Of course, as you know, Dr. McKay is currently unavailable so I'll send Dr. Zelenka in his place. He will lead the teams. You will give him everything he needs and be sure that your scientists do not bring up this matter again. Because I am quite willing to take my people, leave your world behind and let you deal with the Wraith on your own."

He nodded once. "Of course."

"Splendid. I believe we're actually getting somewhere. If there's nothing else, you can go back and make the arrangements. I'll send Dr. Zelenka and his team after they've been briefed."

Mace and Staci glanced at Elizabeth. They hesitated, but they eventually rose to their feet.

Mace cleared his throat. "There is one more thing...Something you should know."

Jackson looked up at him as if he were bored. "Oh, joy. What would that be?"

"About Tristian Salvador. When I said that he would want you to leave...I don't mean that he would expect you to leave _with_ Atlantis. He would fully expect you to leave the city altogether."

"That will never happen."

"I...just want you to know what kind of man he is if you do go against him."

"Thank you for the warning. I'm quaking in my shoes."

Mace didn't know how to respond to that, so he said, "You're welcome." Then, he waited.

Jackson remained silent. He opened his laptop to look at reports from various departments around the city. When it became clear the meeting was over, Mace and Staci finally turned and left the room.

When they were gone, Elizabeth rounded on Jackson with a glare. "What the hell was that?" she demanded.

Jackson continued to look at the reports on the laptop's screen. "What the hell was what?" he asked innocently.

"You treated our guests as if they were an inconvenience. I thought we were striving for relations with the Athens. Your attitude toward them might as well have been a slap in the face."

"I'm well aware of the political necessity of establishing good relations, Dr. Weir...but if they're truly willing to want to help us, then they're going to have to learn to play by our rules."

Elizabeth leaned back and looked at him. "Our rules?"

"Look, this expedition to learn about the Ancestors and make discoveries about ourselves has been going on in Pegasus for over five years...almost six. What has really been done out here that has made any real difference? You've managed to do nothing but make fragile alliances with people who don't even trust you. The Coalition. The Genii. Who out here would ever stand up for you? You've shown yourselves as weak and they can smell that along with your fear. It's time to take a more aggressive stand. We can hold our hand out to the Athens as a gesture of friendship, but I believe it is necessary to keep a sword in the other."

"Richard has opened his heart up to these people. He has begun to earn their trust. What you're doing could undo everything he's been trying to accomplish."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but it doesn't change anything, Dr. Weir. If you think you've got to go smooth things over with our guests, you go right ahead and do that. You are, after all, the appointed Ambassador to the Athens, are you not? I've got work to do. If you need me, I'll be in my office."

Jackson picked up the laptop and left Elizabeth standing there trying to understand what had just happened.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

McKay was not exactly the same man he was when he first stepped through the Stargate and entered into Atlantis almost six years ago. Back then, he was selfish, arrogant, judgmental and quick to point fingers at people when things went catastrophically wrong. While it was true that some things actually never change...it was also possible that for Mckay, there was a small change.

Being captured by a dark haired beauty and held as her prisoner was a fantasy for most men, but not for McKay. There was still a lot of work that had to be done and he was the only one who could do it. _Who else was there? Zelenka? Please! Don't even get me started!_ However, shove the work aside and there was something far more important at stake other than his work.

His life.

And to be honest, he was rather fond of his life. He really wanted to keep it. Especially when there was finally something in his life worth living for.

That brought his thoughts to Dr. Jennifer Keller.

So a part of him wanted to continue yelling at Doreen Stills as she literally had the gun pressed against his head inside the transporter lift. She forced him to alter the program of the lift and transport them elsewhere.

He had started with the usual arguments. "That can't be done! It requires another lift to transport into! It's linked to the one in Janus' lab! I can't work with that gun jammed in my ear!"

But the pressure was on and McKay somehow managed to do the impossible. He placed them right next to the Stargate. Patricia Manor showed up at that point, screaming at them to move...and then, just like that, they were through the event horizon.

On the other side, there was a lush, green forest for as far as the eye could see and a clear blue sky above. Unfortunately, it wasn't there for them to enjoy. Patricia came through the gate, still yelling at them to move. They all hurried down the stone steps, stopped at the DHD and waited. The wait wasn't long.

A Jumper came through and the Stargate shut off.

McKay turned to glare at Doreen, ready to give her another verbal lashing, but the words got stuck in his throat. Doreen had dropped the gun and fallen to her knees. McKay was shocked to find her sobbing uncontrollably into her hands. That was unexpected.

He looked over at Patricia.

She picked up the gun and glared at them. "On your feet, Dori," she said harshly. "We don't have much time."

"What the hell is going on?!" McKay demanded. "I'm not going anywhere until somebody tells me what this is all about!"

Patricia pointed the gun at his head. "Let me simplify it for you. I have a gun. You don't. So move your ass or I'll put a bullet in your head!"

McKay scowled. "Fine!" He helped Doreen to her feet, surprised that she didn't seem to care what happened to them now. He found he had to lead her along, taking her by the arm, just to keep her moving.

A short time later, they were escorted into the Jumper and forced to sit in the back. Johanson didn't even say a word to them. He sat with Bollinger, Averill and Patricia as the pilot brought the Jumper back up into the sky.

McKay sat with Doreen. He turned to give her an accusatory look. "You shot Richard Woolsey!"

She didn't look at him as she nodded. "I know." She closed her eyes. "You'd be surprised what love can make you do."

He stared at her. "What? What's love got to do with this? You _shot_ Richard Woolsey! You kidnapped me! For what? Love? That doesn't make any sense!"

"You love someone, don't you?"

That took him by surprise. "What?"

"Would you do anything to keep her safe?" She shook her head. "Anyway...it doesn't matter any more."

"Doesn't matter?! You may have killed a man!"

She turned away from him and became silent.

Impatient for answers, McKay focused his glare on the IOA representatives and their mercenaries. "I have a right to know why I've been taken from Atlantis at gun point!" he shouted.

Everyone but the pilot turned their heads to look at McKay. The scientist swallowed, suddenly not thrilled by the way they were looking at him.

Finally, Johanson let out a sigh, but he decided to let McKay in on his plans. "It seems that my team and I," he began conversationally, "have over stayed our welcome in Atlantis...so we decided it was in our best interest to leave."

McKay frowned at him. "Really?" he inquired doubtfully. "Okay. Look. It's really no big secret that we don't particularly like the IOA meddling with our work...and, yes, perhaps you have over stayed your welcome...but in leaving Atlantis, one would think you'd head for...Oh, I don't know. Maybe Midway II and then Earth. At least, any rational person would do that. Heading home for Earth in this direction is only going to take you the wrong way! And it doesn't explain why I've been forced to join you!"

"McKay, you don't get it. We're not going back to Earth. We're here on this planet to meet with Todd."

"Todd?"

Johanson nodded. "We're sending a signal to him now. When he gets here, we'll leave this planet and move on."

McKay shook his head. "Wait a minute. Why are you here to meet with Todd?"

"Because he's a Wraith." Johanson grinned as if he had a secret.

"And why is that even relevant?" McKay frowned. "You hate Todd."

"Actually...I don't."

"What?"

"I don't hate Todd or the Wraith. Hell, McKay, we're not here to help you stop them. We've come to _help_ them."

McKay stared, horrified at what he was hearing. "You're...you're Wraith worshipers? Are you serious?"

"Face it, McKay. They are far more superior than we could ever hope to be. And besides, some of us back on Earth were aware of their existence even before your expedition found Atlantis." The implications there staggered McKay. Before he could respond, Johanson continued, "Don't you get it? They are our masters. We are their servants. You can't escape that. You need to stop fighting them and just give in. It will be better for you in the end."

"You're out of your mind!"

"And you're blind to the truth, but you'll see soon enough. When the Wraith find us, I'll be rewarded and you'll be...Hell, you'll be to the Wraith whatever they want you to be. I imagine they'll keep you around for a while to find out everything you know. The pilot here will become a Happy Meal..." He looked at Doreen and smiled. "And so will this one. Her reward for helping us will be having her life sucked right out of her."

McKay turned his head and stared at Doreen in horror. "Is that what you want?"

Doreen didn't respond.

Johanson laughed. "It doesn't matter what she wants. It only matters what the Wraith want. She did as she was told so her fiance back home can continue to live. It's just too bad she'll never see him again."

Doreen continued to remain silent, but her eyes filled with tears.

The pilot was forced to set down and the waiting began. Some time later, the sensors warned them that the Stargate had been activated. When their signal was suddenly jammed, Johanson realized that it was Sheppard's doing. McKay knew it, too,

Johanson smiled, however, when the sensors picked up a hive ship and two cruisers entering the planet's orbit. It was a predatory smile. "It's showtime, Sheppard."

________________________________________________________________________________

4

After the meeting, Jackson went to his new office with strict instructions not to be disturbed. However, as he expected, he _was_ disturbed by Chuck from the Control Room, who came to his door and hesitantly stuck his head in. Chuck knew it was unlikely that he would be shot for the intrusion, but he winced anyway.

"I apologize, Dr. Jackson," he said sincerely, "but there's a message for you coming in from Troye. It's from a member of the Council...Tristian Salvador."

Jackson let out a sigh. "What does he want?"

"He...wants to come to Atlantis for a visit."

"Tell him 'no'."

Chuck blinked. "Uhm, that's it? Just tell him 'no'?"

Jackson put on a sarcastic smile. "You're catching on. It's a one-syllable, one-word answer to his question. Tell him 'no', and then...hang up the phone."

"Hang up the phone?"

"You really don't get that?" Jackson rolled his eyes. "Okay. Fine. How about terminating the transmission? You understand that one, right?"

Chuck nodded.

"Good! Then...go do it."

"But...what if he wants an explanation?"

"That _is_ the explanation. By you telling him 'no' and then terminating the transmission, you are telling him that he isn't welcome for a visit right now. So go and do it."

Chuck turned and hurried out of Dr. Jackson's office. As he was returning to the Control Room, he was relieved to see Elizabeth. She was about to go to Jackson's office when she saw the look on Chuck's face.

"What is it?" she asked him.

He explained to her what had transpired.

She let out a weary, troubled sigh. "I'll answer Tristian myself."

"Well...yeah...but Dr. Jackson pretty much ordered me to."

"I'm the Ambassador between the Athens and the people of Atlantis, as I was reminded earlier. I am well within my rights to speak with Councilman Salvador." She wanted to say that Jackson's response would likely cause a political incident they could do well to avoid. _What is that man thinking?_

Chuck sighed with relief as he led her to a workstation. Within seconds, he re-opened a link to Troye and a severely angry looking man glared impatiently from the screen.

 _Tristian Salvador,_ Elizabeth presumed. "Councilman Salvador," she began with her best diplomatic smile, "I apologize for the --"

 _"I want to speak to the man in charge,"_ he demanded, interrupting. _"Where is this...Richard Woolsey?"_

She paused. Her instincts warned her not to be as forthcoming with Salvador as Jackson had been to Mace and Staci. "He is unavailable at the moment, attending to matters he cannot ignore. I am more than happy to --"

 _"I'm well aware of your new status as diplomatic liaison, Dr. Weir, but I would prefer to speak to the one who calls the shots. When he is available, I want a word with him. Send me a message when he's ready, but you should know..."_ He leaned forward. _"...I don't like to be kept waiting."_

The transmission suddenly ended.

Elizabeth decided that she did not like Tristian Salvador. "Well...that was rather pleasant."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Ronon was pissed. The situation was grim. Sheppard, Shiva and a few Marines were on the ground moving toward McKay and his kidnappers. Meanwhile, a Wraith hive ship and two cruisers were in orbit. Two Darts came out of the hive ship and made a course heading to McKay's position.

He wanted to be on the ground in the worst way, ready for action, but Lorne wasn't budging. The Major had not been given orders to land the Jumper. He had been ordered to remain cloaked. If he even attempted to set down to let Ronon, Teyla and their team out, he would have to decloak.

Lorne wasn't about to do that.

"Can we at least shoot the Darts out of the sky as they come down from orbit?" Ronon growled, impatient to do something.

Lorne shook his head. "You know we'd have to decloak to do that. It's still not gonna happen. You'll just have to be patient and wait like the rest of us."

"I'll wait...but I'm sure as hell not going to be patient about it."

Teyla almost grinned. She informed Sheppard by radio that two Darts were on their way toward his position.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Crap!" Sheppard cursed, P-90 at the ready. He began to search the sky as he and his team moved closer to their target. Teyla had warned him what was coming, but the sky still remained clear. He knew it wouldn't stay clear for long.

"Can we shoot them down?" Shiva asked, ready with his own weapon. He had seemed reluctant to open fire on other people, but when it came down to the Wraith, that was a whole new ball game.

"With a lucky shot, sure," Sheppard answered. "Let's hold off on that unless it becomes clear that we have to." He sighed. "I think they're going to head for Johanson. They've obviously picked up the signal he had sent out. We didn't jam it in time."

"But...won't they know we're here?"

Sheppard scowled. "Yeah. I'm sure they know a second Jumper is out there. But they don't know about Major Lorne and that will be our little element of surprise. It's always nice to have one of those around in case things blow up in your face." Into his radio, he said, "Nobody do anything unless the Darts try to beam us out. If they do make the attempt, open fire on them, but stay clear of the beams."

As if on que, two Darts roared past them from overhead. They never slowed down and they didn't turn around for another pass. They didn't use their beams either. If they knew Sheppard and his team were below them, they didn't seem to care one way or the other.

Sheppard led his team forward, picking up the pace. The Darts were heading for Johanson's position...and McKay was with him.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Everyone was out of the Jumper, and that wasn't good. McKay, Doreen and the pilot were in the clearing on their knees with their hands interlaced behind their heads. That wasn't good either. Behind them, Averill and Bollinger kept their P-90's at the ready. Patricia stood off to the side where she could watch the prisoners. She smirked at them every time they looked her way. Doreen, however, kept her eyes focused on the ground directly in front of her.

Ahead of them, Johanson stood by, watching the sky in anticipation. He smiled as two Darts came into view.

McKay sighed in hopeless frustration. Things were extremely bad now.

"Here they come," Johanson replied unnecessarily.

Patricia bounced excitedly on her feet. She couldn't wait to see the Wraith and hoped to get up close and personal with them.

The Darts passed overhead once, and then came back for a second pass. On the second pass, two beams became visible and two groups of Wraith suddenly appeared in the clearing away from the humans. Patricia almost passed out in delight from the sight. There were three tall Wraith in long black coats and long white hair. Two of them were clevermen, but the one in the middle was the lord of the hive ship. The remaining eight Wraith were blades, ready to fight to the death to protect the clevermen and the lord.

McKay already knew things were bad when he saw the Wraith, but the one in the middle of the three was Todd. He clung desperately to the hope that Todd would remember their alliance and not take his life. It was the only one he had. He was really looking forward to keeping it.

The Wraith blades spread out as they approached. The two clevermen on either side of Todd eventually stopped, but Todd continued forward until he was standing next to Johanson. He regarded McKay, Doreen and the pilot as if they were a product he was considering purchasing. His gaze lingered on Mckay, and McKay thought he saw something in the Wraith's eyes. Todd was distracted by something. Something weighed heavily on his mind and it showed on his face. But the Wraith worshipers did not catch it. McKay, however, did, but he didn't know what it meant or even if it mattered.

Finally, Todd turned his head to look at Johanson.

Johanson tried not to appear nervous. The Wriath did not seem pleased.

"When last we spoke," Todd began conversationally, waving a hand toward the prisoners, "nothing in the plan mentioned anything like this. In fact, I was lead to believe that you would be staying in Atlantis to act on our behalf."

Johanson shrugged. "We had...a situation." He paused. "The bodies were discovered."

Todd frowned at this. "Then, you're second impression to me is worst than the first for I was also under the _impression_ \- falsely, it seems - that the bodies were to be disposed of before there was to be a chance of discovery."

"Yeah, well...unfortunately, someone pushed for an investigation earlier than expected." He glared accusingly at Doreen. "Look...we can still be of service to you. You can have the prisoners. You can even have all of us. But we can be of more help to you alive."

Todd seemed to consider it. Again he looked at McKay. "Some things in the dark," he said softly, "should never be brought to light."

McKay frowned. _What the hell does that mean?_

Todd turned back to Johanson. "What of Sheppard? What is your plan concerning him? You must realize that even now, he is preparing to strike at us."

Johanson laughed. "He won't strike! We have McKay."

Todd shook his head at the human's ignorant shortsightedness. He turned to look at the treeline across the clearing, and then he came to a decision. He used his radio and said, "Greetings, John Sheppard. Would you consider coming out to meet with me in the center of the clearing? I have matters of great importance to discuss with you."

He waited for a response.

The silence seemed loud.

Eventually, he got his answer as Sheppard's voice came over on his radio. _"I'm on my way."_

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Elizabeth couldn't believe it.

 _"It's true,"_ Zelenka said from the radio in the Control Room. _"I am not going to Troye with a team. Or at all for that matter. Dr. Jackson has ordered me to continue working here in our own labs."_

Elizabeth frowned. "But are you and your team ready to go?"

There was a pause. _"We were ready."_

"Just...be ready. I'll contact you in a few minutes." She shook her head in disbelief and headed for the office. She entered without knocking and stopped directly in front of the desk. She placed her hands on her hips. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

Jackson looked up from his work on the laptop. He hadn't left that thing since he took over. "I'm going over the reports since Atlantis has been here. There are a lot of them and...well, it's taken longer than I thought."

"Why did you stop Dr. Zelenka and his team from going to Troye to resume work with the Athen scientists?"

"I've decided to put a stop to all non-essential work - including gate travel and visits to Troye - until I've seen all of the reports. I'd really like to know what I'm getting into here, if you don't mind. There's nothing wrong with caution."

Elizabeth sighed. "Sometimes too much caution isn't a good thing either, Dr. Jackson. You're giving the Athens a reason not to trust us."

Jackson leaned back in his chair. "Yes...I heard about your chat with Salvador. That wasn't your call."

She folded her arms and looked at him. "Actually, that _was_ my call and I handled it the way it should have been handled." She frowned. "This isn't like you, Daniel. Why are you doing this?"

"Because...I'm in charge."

"That's it?"

He paused to think about it. Finally, he added, "And you're not."

She shook her head. "This isn't the way Richard would run things."

"Richard isn't here." His voice softened. "He's still in surgery...and he may not be coming back. So...someone has to run things here, don't you agree?" He looked into her eyes.

"We need friends out here, Dr. Jackson. Not enemies. We have enough of those."

Jackson paused. "Well...you do your job. I'll do mine."

Exasperated, Elizabeth went back to the Control Room just in time for another transmission from Tristian Salvador.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

They stood in front of each other, sizing each other up and looking for weaknesses. Todd looked behind Sheppard to see if he could spot any of his team in the treeline. He knew they were there. He knew they were waiting for their Colonel to give the signal for them to come out shooting.

Sheppard looked behind Todd. He saw the two clevermen and the blades watching him. He saw McKay, Doreen and the pilot on their knees in front of Johanson's mercenaries and he didn't like it. Not one bit. He saw Johanson and Patricia, also watching him. He let out a sigh.

Finally, he turned, glaring at Todd. "I'm going to make this simple. You're going to leave. Just you and your Wraith buddies. And I'm going to take everyone who is human back through the Stargate with me."

Todd looked disappointed. "You wound me, John. I thought the next time we met, one of us was going to kill the other."

Sheppard glared harder. "It can still go that way, but mark my words...I will kill you. Especially for what you did on my watch!"

"Really?"

"Really!" He paused to reign in his anger. "Just not today...or at least, not at this moment. Look...I'm offering you a strategic withdrawal. You leave. Then, we leave. It's as simple as that. And the benefits are...no one gets killed."

"That is...somewhat strategical."

"Good. I'm glad you like it...because it's the only play right now that will work for both of us." He thought about the bodies that had been discovered in Atlantis. He withdrew his pistol and pointed it right at the Wraith's forehead. "What I really want to do is blow your head off!"

Todd never flinched. "Then...why don't you?"

"We've been through that. Everyone will start shooting and a lot of people will die. Wraith included, besides yourself." He shrugged as he re-holstered his weapon. "But...it's the thought that really counts."

"You are a wise man, John Sheppard." Slowly, he turned his head. "Let Dr. McKay and the pilot come forward!" he shouted.

Sheppard scowled as he saw McKay and the pilot approaching. "I don't think you heard me correctly, Todd. I said everyone who is human is coming back to Atlantis with me."

"That is not possible."

"Why the hell not?"

"Johanson had requested asylum for himself and his people and I have granted it to them."

Sheppard glared. "What?"

"Sheppard!" McKay exclaimed.

Sheppard turned to McKay. "Are you okay?"

McKay nodded. He pointed over at Doreen. "We can't leave her here. Johanson plans on watching the Wraith feed on her!"

"What?"

"That's what he said! For her part in this, her reward is to be fed upon!"

Sheppard glared at Todd. "Send her over."

Todd paused. "She is a part of Johanson's group under asylum."

"An unwilling part!" snapped McKay.

"Let her go, Todd," Sheppard demanded.

Todd paused to consider it. Finally, he turned and called for her as well. Johanson seemed to be reluctant about it but he let her go. Doreen slowly approached them. When she was there, Sheppard turned to McKay. "Mckay," he said, "take her into the woods."

McKay waved the pilot on. "What about you?"

"Go!"

"Fine! I'm going!"

Sheppard waited until they were gone, his eyes on Todd. After a pause, he pointed at Johanson and the others. "I still want them."

Todd frowned. "What ever for? They're worshipers, John Sheppard. They will only give you trouble."

"They're still human."

"Oh, don't worry. If you think I intend to eat them, you are mistaken. I have...other uses for them."

"Todd --"

"John," Todd interrupted, a hint of warning in his voice, "hear me well. There are...terrible things happening right now in Pegasus that began long ago. Long ago. It...was in the dark and we did not know of it until...it came to light. This darkness came to light after we left the galaxy, John Sheppard. These terrible things are happening even as we speak...to humans...and to Wraith." He leaned forward. "Not one of us is safe now."

Sheppard didn't want to believe him, but there was something convincing in his voice. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Todd shook his head. "No. I will not speak of it. Not until you see it for yourself." He looked at Sheppard closely. "When you do, John Sheppard...then we will talk." He handed him a disc.

Sheppard took it, hesitantly. "What is this?"

"A gate address."

"To what?"

Todd hesitated. "To a great evil. To a place where even we fear to tread."

There was a familiar high buzzing sound. Sheppard looked up and saw the Darts coming back. He turned his head again and Todd was already rejoining Johanson, the two mercenaries, Patricia and the other Wraith.

Sheppard leveled his P-90. "Hold on a second, Todd! We're not done here!"

Todd agreed as he shook his head. "No...We are not."

The Darts flew over and the beams took them all...leaving only Sheppard behind. He stood there and watched the Darts take off for the sky. They went higher and higher until Sheppard lost sight of them completely.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Elizabeth had figured it out. She suddenly understood what Jackson was up to and walked into his office to call him on it. He looked up from the desk, saw the look on her face and realized the cat was out of the bag.

"Alright," she began as she closed the door. "Spill the beans." She sat down in front of the desk and waited.

Jackson put his hands together and looked at her. "You know." It wasn't a question.

"I should have seen it earlier," she admitted. "This...behavior of yours is not like you, Daniel. I do know. I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate it."

"But...?"

She paused. "How can you be sure?"

He leaned back and smiled. "That's easy. I can be sure because of personal experience." He paused. "I never had any intention of actually running Atlantis. There was a time when I wanted to be a part of the expedition...but never as its fearless leader. That's your job. Besides, those reports I was supposedly looking at...?" He turned the laptop around so Elizabeth could see what was actually on the monitor.

She couldn't help grinning at him. "Solitaire? Really?"

"In all fairness, I tried to get into the reports, but they were too many...and they were giving me a headache."

She regarded him for a moment. "What about those conditions you were trying to tell me about earlier?"

"Truthfully, there is only one condition and it was that I had to be convinced you could be trusted to step in as the head of Atlantis over me." He spread his hands wide. "I do trust you over me." He shrugged helplessly. "Besides...I'm not good at Solitaire."

"So...you were testing me."

He nodded. "I was, but thankfully you came to that realization pretty quickly. That's a good thing, too, because I really don't want to screw things up with the Athens."

"I can handle them."

"Can you?"

She nodded confidently. "I can."

"And...Atlantis? Can you handle that?"

She looked around and took a deep breath. She rose to her feet and smiled. "Yes, I can. But..."

He waited.

"...I may want to call on you from time to time for guidance."

"I sincerely doubt you would need guidance from me."

"Still...don't be afraid to visit again. There is, however, one more thing..."

He looked up at her. "What's that?"

"Get out of my chair."

He got up quickly and waved her into the chair behind the desk. As Elizabeth sat down, Chuck stuck his head into the office. "Dr. Jackson," he began, wondering about the seating arrangements, "Tristian Salvador is contacting us...again. He's very insistent on speaking with someone who is in charge. Uhm, his exact words."

Jackson turned to Elizabeth.

She rose to her feet and followed Chuck into the Control Room. Jackson followed her.

As she expected, Tristian Salvador's severe expression glared at her from the monitor. The second he saw her, he glared even harder. _"I'm a busy man,"_ he said, _"and I don't appreciate being put off in this manner. I demand to speak with Richard Woolsey this instant."_

"Richard Woolsey," Elizabeth began, "is not available. However, I am."

_"I don't have time to speak with an underling, Dr. Weir. If I do not speak with the man in charge of Atlantis right now --"_

"With all due respect, Councilman," she interrupted, "you are speaking with the _woman_ who is leading the people of Atlantis. If you don't want to speak with me personally, that's fine. There are other members of the Council who are willing to see me on behalf of your people. I don't need to see you at all."

Salvador hesitated. _"You're in charge?"_

"That's right. I am."

He sighed. _"You could have told me that earlier."_

"You were rather abrupt."

 _"Yes. I was, wasn't I?"_ He paused. _"Well, I would like to get right to the point. If you're so willing to work with my people, then I thought perhaps some of us could come and visit your great city."_

"Consider it as my personal invitation. I'll set it up for you and inform you within the hour with the details."

Salvador tried not to look surprised. _"Thank you."_

"You're welcome. Until then...good-bye."

Just as the communications ended, the Stargate began to move and chevrons began to lock. A short time later, the Staregate opened and the Iris locked into place.

"It's the Colonel's CDIC," Chuck announced.

Elizabeth caught Jackson grinning at her. "Open the Iris," she said, "and bring them home." She returned the grin.

Below the Control Room, the first Jumper came through the Stargate and headed for the Jumper Bay. It was followed by two other Jumpers, minutes a part from one another so there would be no collisions. Elizabeth watched from the balcony, a small smile on her face.

As the Stargate closed, she could only feel grateful to be finally home where she belonged.

________________________________________________________________________________

Epilogue

Jackson had said his good-bye's and left. Doreen went with him, accompanied by a Marine who had placed her under arrest. With Jackson gone, Lorne, Sheppard, McKay, Ronon and Teyla went into the office with Elizabeth. She filled them in on recent events, which included Woolsey's condition and her sudden reinstatement. When she was done, she waited for a response.

All she got was silence.

Teyla was the first to finally break that silence. "I am glad you are back, Dr. Weir. We have missed you."

"Thank you, Teyla," Elizabeth said, glancing at Sheppard.

Ronon frowned. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're back, too, but...what's going to happen to Woolsey now?"

She paused. "I don't know. Dr. Beckett tells me the bullet went right through him and as a result, there was extensive tissue damage. His left lung was... _nicked_ by the bullet. Dr. Beckett is keeping him under watch. _When_ -" She didn't say _If._ "- his condition is stable, he'll be sent back to Earth for a chance at a full recovery. For now...we just have to wait and hope for the best."

"He was going to be replaced anyway, wasn't he?" Lorne inquired. "Dr. Jackson seemed to hint at it before Woolsey was shot."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes."

"What?" McKay frowned. "Why?"

Sheppard looked at him. "Because the IOA didn't like it when Atlantis left Earth and returned to Pegasus. They're blaming Woolsey for it."

"Speaking of the IOA," Elizabeth began, turning to Sheppard, "what happened?"

Sheppard scowled. "Johanson was granted asylum by Todd. Can you believe that?"

"So they're with the Wraith right now?"

"Yes." He knew what she was thinking. "They're not going to get to Earth through Johanson and his band of bandits because they need to come through Atlantis first. And even if they can find another way to Earth, we'll get to them first. Besides...I think there may be something else going on that has all of the Wraith occupied." He retrieved the disc that Todd had given him from his pocket. "Todd gave me this."

"What is that?"

"According to Todd...it's a great evil that scares even the Wraith."

McKay let out a sigh. "I wonder if it's got to do with what Johanson told me."

Everyone turned to him, their interest peaked.

"What did Johanson tell you?" Sheppard wanted to know.

McKay paused. For some reason, he couldn't get Doreen out of his mind. He wondered if he would ever act as she did to protect someone. Doreen's fiance's life had been threatened. Would McKay react the same way if Jennifer's life was on the line? He hoped he would never have to find out. His track record had always been to flee in the face of danger so the real question was...would he help to save the love of his life or flee to save his own?

He couldn't bring himself to look at the others. He didn't want them to know what he was thinking.

He swallowed. "He said that before we even discovered Atlantis, there was a group of people on Earth who were already aware of the Wraith."

"How the hell is that even possible?" Sheppard demanded.

"I don't know! It's what he said!"

"Perhaps the SGC can look into that," Teyla suggested.

Elizabeth agreed. "I'll inform them. In the meantime...why don't you all take a break? I think you could all use some time off."

Sheppard raised the disc. "What about this pending evil?"

"I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. We're hosting a party for the Council members and their families at seven. Get some rest and freshen up. It just may prove to be a very interesting night."

Lorne rolled his eyes. "Great. A formal gathering. I can't wait."

As they began to leave, Sheppard hung back and waited to be alone with Elizabeth. From the Control Room, he could hear Chuck announcing, "We have gate activation!" Thankfully, this time, it was a scheduled arrival.

Sheppard ran a hand through his hair. "Look...about earlier today..."

She smiled at him. "It's all right, John. Apparently, you and Dr. Jackson were right. It took both of you to get me to see it for myself."

He paused. "You don't know how glad I am to have you back."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me."

He shook his head. "No, Elizabeth. You don't get it. I went to that planet today for one reason only. I wanted to kill Todd _and_ Johanson for the murders of those interns. I was ready to give into the rage and just do it...but something stopped me." He hesitated. "It was you. Just knowing that you were here kept me grounded. Helped me to focus...so that I could get everybody home without loss of life. My team and I came back because of you." He looked into her eyes. "It is good to have you back where you belong. But this time...could you stay a little longer?"

She took a step closer. "Let's both stay a little longer."

They walked out of the office and came to the balcony to watch travelers arriving from Midway II. They were just in time to witness something neither one of them ever thought they would see.

Among the new personnel coming in through the Stargate was Dr. Jennifer Keller. She came out of the Stargate with a duffel bag over one shoulder and a suitcase in her left hand. It just so happened that Ronon, Teyla and McKay were coming down the stairs. McKay took one look at her, stopped in his tracks and stared. Ronon and Teyla both grinned, amused at the look of surprise on McKay's face.

"Rodney!" Jennifer exclaimed, smiling.

That was when McKay surprised everyone. He walked right up to her, put his arms around her and kissed her passionately on her lips. Everyone stared. Jennifer dropped her suitcase and just let it happen.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
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Coming soon...Episode 4...LEGION...There is something dark coming that even the Wraith fear.

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	4. Legion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lanteans discover an evil has risen that even the Wraith fear.

\-----PROLOGUE-----

Space was infinite. It hardly required any other definition. The stars were too numerous to count and space was so deep, it seemed to have no end. There had to be a Higher Power that held everything together because space was not only infinitely vast, but it was also incredibly dangerous. It was a simple matter to get lost in space.

The Ancestors were once well aware of this tragic reality. They had become familiar with the horrible dangers of space. But...there were some dangers that even they were unaware of. Only a handful of Ancestors had known of this evil and a few may have taken steps to combat it. For the most part, had the others been aware, they would have found a way to leave behind a message of warning to those who called themselves their descendants.

Only one race knew of this danger...and they tried to forget. They were the Wraith. The young ones were ignorant of it because this horrible knowledge of the danger was intentionally not passed down from generation to generation. Even some of the old ones had forgotten. But there were some who knew of it...and trembled.

There was one lord - the Wraith the Lanteans called Todd - who was made fully aware of the danger upon his return to his hive ship. Much had happened during his incarceration in Atlantis while on Earth, the homeworld of the Lanteans. He had been mortified to learn of an old evil rising again in his absence. This evil was greater than the Wraith and could destroy all life. It had to be destroyed and the only way that was going to happen was if the Wraith joined forces with the Lanteans. Todd had to gain their trust, but in order to do that...he found it necessary to expose them to the evil they were destined to meet.

_______ _______ _______

In a distant area of space, a solitary stargate drifted as it had for thousands of years. It was isolated in a deep region of space where a planet had once been. Now there was nothing but a massive field of debris. The reason behind the planet's destruction may never be discovered, but there were other things in the debris field that were far more dangerous.

The stargate suddenly became active as the chevrons began to turn. A short time later, an unstable energy vortex emerged from the gate, spitting out into space. When it resettled back into the shimmering surface of the event horizon, a moment of silence followed. Soon after, a jumper emerged and the gate shutdown.

Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard was at the helm with Teyla Emmagan in the co-pilots chair. Behind them were Ronon Dex and Dr. Rodney McKay, who was looking intently at the screen on his laptop. He was almost too intent on the information scrolling across the screen as if he were trying to keep his mind occupied from things he didn't want to think about. Even for him, he had been a tad bit too quiet to his usual constant ramblings. His teammates were beginning to fear that something else was wrong with him.

"That is one hell of an asteroid field," Ronon commented, peering out through the front windshield.

"Those aren't asteroids," McKay replied, still watching the screen. "It's debris."

Sheppard scowled. "Debris? From what?"

"Looks like there used to be a planet here a long time ago. In some respects, it still is here...but as a debris field, and a massively large one at that. It practically fills up a quarter of one sector in this system alone."

"What could have destroyed a planet like this?" Teyla inquired as she looked out in awe at the debris field they were approaching.

Sheppard grinned, remembering something from earlier missions. "Oh, I'm sure given time, McKay could cook up something to destroy a planet."

McKay rolled his eyes. He had actually thought Sheppard would never bring that up again. It only showed how wrong he was about that. "That was different!"

"I know it was. Because it wasn't just a planet that was destroyed."

"The circumstances behind that..." McKay suddenly trailed off. It was pointless to argue at this point. "Never mind. Whatever. Look, it doesn't matter what destroyed this planet, but whatever it was, it happened a long time ago. From what I'm detecting, this could have happened a thousand years ago."

"How can you tell?" Ronon asked.

"From the dispersion pattern for one thing. Over time, the debris actually stretches out and takes up more area. This debris has been spreading itself out all over this system for a very long time."

Sheppard was worried, but he didn't say anything. He had intentionally baited McKay into an argument and the man had brushed it off. Something was troubling the man. At first, it had been because Dr. Jennifer Keller had been stuck back on Earth, but he had thought the problem would have resolved itself with her arrival on Atlantis. He wondered if it was going well with the good doctor and the scientist. It certainly seemed that it was from the way McKay had greeted her soon after she came out through the stargate.

Ronon sighed. "Well...I don't see anything out here that appears to be evil. I think Todd was just playing us for fools."

"You only think that because Todd's a Wraith," Sheppard pointed out. "What if this evil is what destroyed the planet?"

"If this evil did this a thousand years ago, would it still be around?"

McKay sighed impatiently. "We still don't even know what caused the planet's destruction in the first place. There's no point in trying to theorize on the how or even the why. Right now we should focus on the what. As in what is out there - if anything - in the debris field that could pose a problem for us?"

"Is there anything?" Sheppard wanted to know.

There was a pause. "There is."

"Would you care to share it with us?"

There was another pause. "I'm detecting...a hive ship."

Ronon sneered. "Yep. The evil Todd wanted to point out to us is just another hive ship. Probably want us to take them out so he can have more territory to cull."

"I'm not detecting any life signs."

Sheppard made some adjustments and set a new course as the information McKay was seeing on his laptop became visible on the windshield. "Okay, people. We're going in." He leaned back in his chair. "Let's go see if there's anything evil on this hive ship."

"What if there is?" McKay asked, finally looking up from his laptop. "What will we do?"

Sheppard shrugged. "I don't know, McKay, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But if it turns out to be a giant lemon, I'll jump in front of it for you."

"Ha ha. Very funny."

A large hive ship drifted amongst the debris as the jumper drew closer. Sheppard drove into the hive ship without a problem but a strange feeling of dread almost overpowered him. He kept it back as he set the jumper down inside a huge cavernous bay.

He turned to look at the others. For a moment, no one spoke. They just looked at each other. Finally, Sheppard said, "Do you guys feel that?"

McKay swallowed. "I think we should leave. Now!"

Sheppard shook his head. "Look, I don't trust Todd any more than you do, but we should see this through. If something is going on out here that could threaten Atlantis, we've got to find out what it is." He looked at Teyla. Her head was tilted as if she were listening to something. "Teyla...?"

She turned to look at him. "Yes...?"

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing. I thought I heard..."

He frowned. "You thought you heard what?"

She smiled apologetically. "Nothing. I heard nothing." She hesitated. "But you are right. We should see this through."

He nodded. "Okay. Ronon?"

Ronon just nodded. But his blaster wasn't holstered. It was in his hand and he appeared ready to use it.

Sheppard looked at McKay. The scientist was extremely pale and he kept swallowing nervously. However, Sheppard had every confidence in them that they would perform to the best of their ability as they always had. He got up and went to the back of the jumper. He grabbed his P-90 and turned back to look at the others. They were behind him. Teyla had her P-90, McKay had his and his laptop and Ronon had his blaster.

Feeling suddenly bad about this mission, he opened the back hatch and stepped out into the large cavernous bay of the hive ship...and all hell broke loose.

Teyla screamed. "John! No! Please!"

Sheppard spun around, expecting to see Wraith dragging Teyla away but to his surprise, it was just Teyla. She had fallen onto the floor and was now desperately scrambling backwards to move away from him. She looked up at him with terror in her eyes.

"Teyla, what...?" Sheppard began.

Ronon suddenly blocked his path with his blaster in both hands. He appeared to be hesitant, but he acted as if he perceived Sheppard as a threat. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

Sheppard looked startled. "What the hell am I doing? Ronon, what are you doing? Put down your weapon and let me help Teyla before -"

Ronon's blaster came up a little more. "Sheppard, I'm not the enemy! Put down your weapon!" He swallowed. "I swear, I'll shoot if I have to!"

Sheppard heard McKay muttering to himself, but he couldn't take his eyes off Ronon. Teyla had managed to get further away from them and then she got up and ran off into one of the corridors on the other side of the bay.

"Ronon! Step aside, damn it!" Sheppard ordered.

Ronon raised his weapon and fired.

Sheppard barely ducked out of the line of fire in time. He hit the deck and rolled. Then, he had no choice but to run for cover as Ronon fired several shots at him. Sheppard dove into a corridor and rolled out of harms way. Then, he came back up and placed his back to the wall. He peered out and saw Ronon running away toward the far end of the bay.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, but no one had any answers. He looked toward the jumper, and that's when things seemed to get worst. The jumper was no where in sight and neither was McKay.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-----1-----

Something was horribly wrong. Teyla didn't know how long she had been standing in front of the stargate in Atlantis, nor could she remember what she had been doing before. She did know that the silence all around her was unnerving and it wasn't natural. Atlantis was usually a very busy place...but now it was as quiet as a tomb.

She moved slowly toward the steps leading up to the Control Room and before she could take the first step, a shadow fell upon her. She looked up and gasped at the sight at the top of the stairs.

It was Sheppard...but not the same Sheppard she had come to know and love. This Sheppard was horribly wrong. He was hideously partially transformed because of the iratus bug that had latched onto his throat...but that was several years ago. One side of him was black and Wraith-like. His right hand was a huge claw with a mouth directly in the center of his palm. The left side was human enough, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he was completely transformed. His eyes were the worst. They were white albino and they bored right into her soul, causing her to be overwhelmed with terror.

She swallowed.

"Hello, our Queen," Sheppard said, but his voice sounded harsh. Angry. "We are pleased that you have finally come to reign over us."

She took a step back. He began to walk down the steps toward her, taking his time. He flexed his hands, anticipating what he was about to do to her.

Teyla stumbled and fell onto her back. She tried to push herself out of his reach. "John!" she shouted, terror in her eyes. "No! Please!"

A cruel smile touched his lips. "You cannot ignore your destiny. You will be ours!" His pace quickened.

Teyla pushed herself further away from him. Then, she turned, pushed herself back up onto her feet and ran as fast as she was able to. She had to get away from the monster Sheppard had become.

_______ _______ _______

They had just come back from a mission...or so Ronon had thought. But when he stepped out of the stargate with his teammates, he was startled to discover that they were standing in the center of a dead city...a city he recognized. A city on his own homeworld of Sateda. He stepped down from the ramp to look around in wonder, confused as to why they had returned here and not to Atlantis. He turned his head to ask his friends and suddenly he stopped, the question stuck in his throat.

Sheppard, Teyla and McKay stared at him in horror and revulsion. Sheppard brought up his P-90 and leveled it right at center mass of Ronon's chest. Ronon withdrew his own blaster, but he kept it leveled at the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ronon demanded.

Sheppard didn't even blink as a look of determination crossed his face. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm getting ready to rid the universe of one more piece of scum."

Ronon gripped his blaster in a two-handed grip and brought it up a little more, but he was still hesitant to shoot at a friend. "Sheppard, I'm not the enemy. Put down your weapon!" He swallowed. "I swear, I'll shoot if I have to."

Sheppard's finger tightened on the trigger...and Ronon had no choice. He opened fire with his blaster as he began to run. To his horror and astonishment, Sheppard, Teyla and McKay spread out behind him but he knew they were all shooting at him. Bullets pounded into the pavement around him and flew past him. He was surprised none of them struck him. He rounded a corner and away from the gun fire, but realized he wasn't out of the woods yet. He could hear them regroup and begin pursuit. Ronon jumped onto a large, green garbage container, and then pulled himself through the opening of a warehouse where a window had been smashed out. He ducked for cover and peered out cautiously.

Sheppard, Teyla and McKay stopped just outside in the street. They looked around.

"Where did he go?" McKay whined. "I think I got in a lucky shot. I think I hit him."

"In your dreams," Ronon hissed softly as he continued to watch.

Sheppard shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We've got to find him...and put him down like the dog he is."

Teyla seemed to hesitate. "John...it's Ronon."

"It was Ronon, but it's not him any more. The sooner you get that through your head, the easier this will be. We will get him and when we do, we will kill him." He turned to glare at both McKay and Teyla. "That thing is not Ronon. It's a monster. If you don't kill it...it will kill you, like it killed the others. Do you understand me?"

Teyla swallowed. But finally, she nodded once.

Sheppard glared at McKay.

McKay shrugged helplessly. "Did you not just hear me say that I think I hit him? Doesn't that show you that I'm trying?"

"You're trying, alright. You're trying my patience. Now...split up. And if you see him, shoot him. That's an order." Sheppard jogged away from them before he got an answer.

Teyla and McKay glanced at one another. Then, without speaking, they split up as well and began the search.

Ronon sat onto the floor beneath the window, trying to take it all in. Monster? What had Sheppard meant by that? And what others had he killed? He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finally, he got up off the floor and moved deeper into the warehouse. He saw only one option. He had to stay away from them and wait for them to leave. Or he had to get back to the stargate and get to Atlantis to find out what had happened.

As he was walking, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He leveled his blaster and turned, expecting to defend himself. What he got instead was the answer to why he was being hunted. He discovered a mirror leaning up against the wall, and the reflection glaring back at him was his own...but to his horror, he came to one startling discovery.

Ronon was a Wraith.

_______ _______ _______

McKay was in trouble and he knew it. He just didn't know why. He had no idea what he had done, but when he was ordered to report to Richard Woolsey's office by an angry looking Major Lorne, he knew something was up. Leaving his lab, he wondered what he could possibly have done that seemed to set everyone against him. His own people, including Radek Zelenka, had been given him sour looks all day.

No one appreciated genius any more. Didn't they realize he had gotten them all out of trouble more times than they could count? Because he sure could count those times, and then some. That's all it was. He was the genius of Atlantis and they were all jealous of him.

Once he arrived at Woolsey's office, his panic began to rise. His teammates were there, along with Woolsey, and Colonel Steven Caldwell. They all stood in silence as he entered the room. Their eyes were upon him, and he didn't like the looks. He saw disgust, anger and loathing...and it was all directed at him.

He looked from one to the other. "Um...what's going on?"

Woolsey, who was sitting at his desk, didn't say a word. Instead, he turned his laptop around so that McKay could see what was on it. Curious, he moved closer and looked at the screen. Then, he took a closer look. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It looked like a completed simulation of Project Arcturus, which resulted in the destruction of an entire solar system.

McKay remembered that tragedy a few years ago. It had taken a long time to earn back the trust of his colleagues, and even longer for Sheppard to trust him again. He looked at Sheppard and swallowed. Sheppard glared at him with barely suppressed rage. The man looked like he wanted to take his head off.

"What is this?" McKay asked.

"What the hell do you think it is?" Sheppard demanded. "I knew you were up to something, but working on this project behind our backs is the lowest any one can go. Even for you!"

Mckay frowned. "Working behind your backs? I'm not working on anything behind anyone's backs! This simulation is --"

"It's not a simulation," Caldwell declared, also looking angry enough to give McKay a beating. "These are the results of what happened to a solar system three days ago."

"What?"

"Stop fighting with us, Rodney," Teyla pleaded with him, trying to understand what went wrong with him. "You must cooperate with us. If you don't...we cannot save you."

McKay blinked. "What do you mean, you can't save me? I didn't do anything."

Sheppard lost it. Before anyone could stop him, he was across the room and had McKay slammed up against the wall. He pressed his forearm into McKay's throat. "You know damn well what you did! You betrayed us! You took trips to a world to showoff your superior intellect by building them a weapon like we found on Doranda. You told them you could do it to protect them from the Wraith and then you left them after you showed them how. Well, they built the weapon and destroyed their solar system. There were two other planets in that system, you stupid son-of-a-bitch, and you killed every living thing there!"

Ronon and Caldwell pulled Sheppard away from McKay, but only when Woolsey indicated that they should. McKay fell into a coughing fit once he could breath again as he slid down the wall onto the floor. He couldn't believe this was happening. His entire life was caving in on him. He was so shocked by this sudden turn of events, he was speechless. Sheppard had never attacked him before.

He tried to find courage as he looked up.

Sheppard glared down at him. Then, he radioed for two men to come to Woolsey's office. When they arrived, Sheppard turned to them. He pointed at McKay. "Pick that up and throw it into the brig. If I do it, I'm liable to throw him off the nearest terrace."

The two men reached down and none too gently helped McKay to his feet.

Sheppard glared once more at him. "You're going to pay for what you did." In disgust, he said, "Get him out of my sight."

The two marines literally dragged McKay away. McKay could not understand why any of this was happening, but he knew he just lost everything he ever cared about.

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard held the P-90 at the ready as he slowly retraced his steps toward where he had parked the jumper. It was gone. McKay, Ronon and Teyla were gone, too. He knew Ronon and Teyla had run off in two separate directions, so they were somewhere in the hive ship as he was. McKay must have taken the jumper and flown off back into space. The question was...why? What had affected them to make them freak out like they had? Why didn't the same thing happen to him?

Sheppard had another problem. The life signs detector wasn't working. It wasn't showing any sign of Ronon or Teyla anywhere on the ship...but he knew they were there. Somewhere. Sighing, he put the detector back into his pocket. Picking a corridor, he took the one where Teyla had disappeared into. As he stepped fully into the corridor he immediately came across four bodies.

He stopped. He looked down and saw that they were Wraith...and something had torn them a part. There were arms and legs pulled right out of their sockets. Large claw marks were visible wounds upon their bodies...and they had also been fed upon. It was clearly another Wraith who had done this...but he had never come across a Wraith capable of this carnage. That feeling of dread returned to him. He began to think that Todd had told him the truth. There was evil here.

He took a deep breath and continued forward. Along the way on his search for Teyla, he discovered several more bodies. He began to believe that the entire crew of this hive ship had all been killed by the same thing. He strongly hoped that he would not cross paths with this thing any time soon...or at all. He made it to the control room and wasn't even surprised to see more bodies. All torn a part. All fed upon.

He stood still and looked around. He had a really bad feeling about this place. Had he stepped into the Wraith version of Hell? If this could be done to the Wraith, he hated to think about what it could do to humans. Especially when he was a human himself.

"This is all wrong," he said softly. He touched his earpiece. "Teyla...Ronon...McKay...come in. Please. If you guys can here me, I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me where you are. We really need to get out of here."

But there was no response.

Suddenly, there was a voice from behind him. It said, "You're not going anywhere."

Startled, Sheppard spun around, prepared to open fire. He expected to see the Wraith that did this, but instead, he found himself confronted by someone he hadn't expected.

It was Remington Harris Johanson.

_______ _______ _______

On Atlantis, Dr. Elizabeth Weir was having an interesting day herself. Things appeared to be going smoothly in the city and they were getting along with their new neighbors, the Athens. As she hoped Colonel Sheppard's team was faring well for itself out there on their new mission, she was getting acquainted with a new personnel member who had recently arrived.

The woman was Willow Rosen and she was the new psychologist. She had arrived from Earth and then Midway II and was finding the readjustments to her life exhilarating. Elizabeth shook her head to herself. This new woman carried herself well and had to know that she was turning heads - male and female - wherever she went. Everything seemed bright about her. Her green eyes, red hair and one heluva smile certainly made her the vented of attention. Anyone coming to pay her a visit would quickly find themselves wanting to listen to her every word.

"This office used to belong to Harris Johanson," Elizabeth explained to the woman as she showed her the office, "but there is a nice view of the ocean out that window and an even nicer one from the terrace right outside. I think you may find it to your liking."

Having been informed of the earlier crisis, Willow smiled that smile as she took in the office. "Thank you, Dr. Weir. This will do very nicely. I do suppose that since the IOA no longer has a need for it, I can put it to good use for my new patients. They can enjoy the view here as I help them to face their innermost fears."

Elizabeth almost said, "They certainly can," but refrained from doing so. "I hope you like it here."

"I know I will." Willow slowly turned and then focused her eyes on Elizabeth. "So tell me...how are you adjusting to your new life here in Atlantis?"

Elizabeth hesitated. Willow was waiting for her answer with genuine curiosity...and concern. "I will admit..." she began, "it is the same as before...and yet different, too. To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to come back as the leader of this expedition ever again. The circumstances of my reinstatement were not what I had expected either or hoped for...but they were also completely unavoidable, too."

"You mean with what happened with Richard Woolsey," Willow said softly.

Elizabeth nodded once. "Yes."

"Dr. Carson says that he cannot yet be moved. He is still in a coma."

"That's right."

"I've never met him, but I've heard much about him. All good, too. I realize I do not need to do so, but I extend my heartfelt sympathies to you. I know that everyone here must be still reeling from the tragedy that occurred here recently."

Elizabeth nodded. "We're stronger than we look. We'll be fine...and I haven't given up on Richard either."

"That is good." She paused. Then, she gave Elizabeth a knowing look. "And your own personal adjustments? Having returned from being ascended? How are you feeling with that? That must be weighing on your mind every day."

"It is..." She smiled and looked at her suspiciously. "I'm sorry...am I a patient now?"

Willow smiled back at her, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "From this day forward, let's not use the word 'patient'. Elizabeth, I'm your friend. I'm interested in everything about you, but you don't have to tell me a thing. Just know that I am always willing to talk to you day or night. You carry a great responsibility upon your shoulders. I would simply like to offer any help to you that I can."

"Well, just so you know, nothing on Atlantis is ever done 'simply'."

As if on queue, her radio sounded in her ear. It was Amelia Banks from the Control Room. "Dr. Weir," she said from the headset, "we have a communique from Major Lorne at New Athos. He needs to speak to you."

Elizabeth pointed at the comm system on the desk. "May I?"

Willow nodded. "Of course."

"Amelia," she said into the mouthpiece of her headset, "place the call here."

A short time later, Major Lorne's voice came over the intercom. "Dr. Weir...?"

"Go ahead, Major Lorne," she said encouragingly. "How are things going with the Athosians?"

"Things are going well with them..." Lorne said carefully. "They're just worried about the...ah, visitor in their midst."

Elizabeth exchanged a curious look with Willow. "What visitor?"

"It's Todd."

That was a surprise. "What is Todd doing at New Athos?"

"He's actually been waiting for us to show up. He says he needs to see you." There was a pause. "It's about Colonel Sheppard and his team."

"By all means...we'll be expecting you and Todd shortly."

"Understood."

The communication ended. Elizabeth had no idea what to expect from Todd, but in her experience when dealing with him, it was never anything good.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-----2-----

Teyla was overcome by fear. If the fear had not been so strong, she would have been able to reason that what was happening to her was not real. She would have known that something was off. However, because the fear was so powerful in her mind, it completely blinded her from the truth of reality. It also caused her to react in ways she would not normally react.

She ran full out down a long corridor to get away from the monster that had somehow become Colonel Sheppard. She turned a corner and ran toward a supply room. She went inside and the door closed behind her. She found some crates in a corner and squeezed into a small space between them and the wall. Then, she huddled as low as she could and whimpered like a child.

She was terrified out of her mind.

She had run from Sheppard, but his voice still followed her. Something about that voice should have triggered something in her about how wrong it was...but the fear continued to cloud her mind.

"You cannot hide from us, our Queen," Sheppard hissed from the overhead speakers. "We will find you. We will have you. You will be ours...forever!"

Teyla didn't want to hear any more. She put her hands over her ears in the hopes that the act alone would make it stop. Unfortunately, it didn't stop. It didn't help at all.

"We wish only for you to make us stronger. Join us freely...or we will have you by force! Your strength will be added to ours. Everything you are will be ours. Run, if you can. Hide from us, if you will! But we will find you!"

Then, he laughed. It was a harsh, cruel laugh.

Teyla wished she could burrow into the floor and escape. Suddenly, the crates were thrown aside and hands roughly grabbed her. Before she realize what was happening, she was pulled up out of hiding and tossed into the air. She struck the wall hard across the room and crashed onto several crates below her. As she tried to get up and take a breath, she was grabbed again. With powerful force, she was slammed into the wall. A hand gripped her by the hair and pulled her head back. She found herself looking into the face of Ronon Dex...but he, too, was like Sheppard. Half man, half iratus bug.

She screamed. "Please, Ronon! Please...What's happened to you?"

He didn't answer her. He hissed at her and tossed her aside like a rag. She sailed once more through the air and struck the door. As she fell, the door opened and she stumbled out into the corridor. She tried to get to her feet as she watched the thing that was Ronon slowly turn to face her. He took two steps toward her and the door closed.

Teyla got to her feet and ran. This time she made a decision in spite of her fear. She was going to arm herself. Tears filled her eyes. She didn't want to have to shoot her friends. She had to find something to stun them and hoped it would be enough. But where was everyone else? Would she find them as well like Sheppard and Ronon? Was there anyone in Atlantis not affected by this horrible virus? Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that this was wrong.

_______ _______ _______

Ronon went ballistic. When he saw that he was a Wraith, he smashed the mirror with his fists and screamed at it in fury. Then, he began to tear apart anything in his path. He picked up pieces of machinery and hurled them in every direction. He smashed holes in the walls and kicked over tables. He was in a rage over what he had seen and something deep within him told him that it was wrong. All wrong. His rage, however, was powerful and overwhelming.

He picked up his blaster, gripping it tightly. Now he wanted something to shoot. He wanted something in his sights so he could make it suffer just as he was being made to suffer. There was no possible way that this could be happening. He was not a Wraith. He couldn't be a Wraith.

He fell to his knees, looked up toward the ceiling and let out a loud bellow of rage. He screamed to the heavens, demanding for an answer to this impossible dilemma. Someone...something was responsible for this and he wanted to make it pay.

He dropped his hands to his sides, his blaster against his leg. He gasped for breath as he bowed his head in agony. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be...it was all wrong. He raised his head, prepared to cry out in rage one more time even though his voice was hoarse...and that's when he saw her. His mouth dropped open in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. But there she was, the one love of his life...standing there as plain as day.

Melena.

He stared, unable to move because he was afraid if he did, she would disappear.

She looked back at him with a half smile.

He continued to stare until finally, he slowly got to his feet. And that's when the door at the far end was kicked open to allow Sheppard to stroll into the room.

"Lucy, I'm home!" Sheppard called out. Then, he fired his P-90 at his target.

Ronon dove over a pile of junk as the bullets began to fly. He tried to look out to see where Melena was, but she was nowhere in sight. She was gone as if she had never been there in the first place.

Sheppard had no intention of letting Ronon have a moment of peace. He pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin and said, "Fire in the hole!" He tossed the grenade where he had seen Ronon duck for cover.

Ronon cursed. The grenade bounced right next to him. He abruptly backed away and ran toward the nearest exit. A window. He dove through it, glass flying every where, as the grenade exploded. He hit the pavement below hard and groaned. He got to his knees and that's when someone began to shoot at him with a pistol.

It was McKay. The man had one hand over his eyes and the other hand was firing off round after round from his Beretta. The bullets went every where but at the target. Ronon gave him a look and ducked into an alley. It saved his life because Teyla opened fire with her P-90 from the other direction of the street.

When he was out of sight, Teyla stood close to the entrance of the alley as she reloaded her P-90. McKay ran up to her.

"Did I hit him?" he asked her.

She simply gave him a look.

_______ _______ _______

McKay was at the lowest point of his life and he had no idea how he got there. Everyone was against him and this time it was certain. He was still badly affected by the way Sheppard had physically slammed him against the wall. Sheppard had been very angry with him. McKay swallowed. He just knew he was going to be sick...and there was no longer anyone in Atlantis who would even care.

That made him think of Jennifer Keller. He wondered where she was. He hoped she was okay. As he sat in his cell, he tried to think of the times he had with her that were the best times he had ever had. Like the time in the plane ride when they had visited earth before Malcolm Tunney almost destroyed it with a project aimed at global warming. That plane ride had been quite memorable indeed.

He smiled at the thought.

"If you're thinking about my daughter, young man...we don't appreciate it."

McKay jumped up and turned around, eyes wide with fright. To his amazement, Jennifer's father was sitting on the bench watching him.

"Wait...what?" McKay pointed at him. "I...I don't mean to sound melodramatic or like a cliche from a movie but...aren't you dead?"

The old man smiled at him. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "No thanks to you. You, my young friend, killed us."

McKay swallowed. "Come again?"

"You broke our little girl's heart...and because of it, we suffered greatly. We died because our grief, which you caused, was too much."

Something was happening here beyond what his senses were telling him, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He shook his head. "I didn't kill anyone. Jennifer knows I couldn't be with her when you...when you passed away. I was stuck in Atlantis because of the hijacking. Look, if I could have been there for her, I would have."

"She hates you now."

"What?"

"She despises you. As do all those whom you know and love." The old man smiled again. "You are disgraced. You are abandoned. You are alone...and will always be."

McKay backed away from him and found himself next to the door. "No. No, that's not true. This is all a terrible mistake. You'll see. It's a horrible joke that someone is playing." He swallowed. "Jennifer doesn't despise me. She loves me. She told me that herself." He looked out at the guard standing on duty. "I want to see Dr. Keller!" he exclaimed.

The guard completely ignored him.

"Look, I didn't do anything wrong. There's been a terrible mistake here! You have to at least let me see Dr. Keller! Don't you think it would be a good idea for me to see a doctor? Especially if I'm certifiable or cracked in the head, she should be able to make a house call to do her civil duty!"

Sheppard walked past the guard at that moment with a tray of food. "Dr. Keller doesn't want to see you," he said as he approached the door to the cell. "Step back."

McKay sighed. "Sheppard, I didn't do what you think I did."

"I don't care. Step back or I will shoot you in the kneecaps."

From the look on the man's face, McKay believed him. He stepped back.

Sheppard opened the door and then handed the tray of food to McKay.

McKay grudgingly took it and looked at it. Mashed potatoes and pork chops with a side of mushrooms and peas. A cup of coffee and a bottle of water. He suddenly realized that he was hungry.

He looked at Sheppard. "Oh...well...thanks."

Sheppard grinned as if he had a secret. "Don't mention it."

He sealed the door and waited.

McKay sighed and rolled his eyes. "I smell lemon."

"That's right. Pork chops with a twist of lemon. I think it's in the potatoes and peas, too. And, oh, yeah...there might be some lemon juice in your coffee. I know how much you like to flavor your food. If I were you, I'd check the bottled water, too. Even if it is sealed."

"That is just not nice."

"Hell, I haven't even begun to play nice with you yet."

"Oh, come on! You know I didn't do it! Something is terribly wrong here and if you just give me a few minutes, I might be able to figure out what the hell is going on!"

Sheppard folded his arms across his chest. "Go ahead. Enlighten me."

McKay nodded once. "Fine. I will. Starting with Jennifer's father."

"Who?"

"Dr. Keller's dad!"

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "Dr. Keller's father passed away and she stayed to bury him without your help."

"I know that, but, look...he's right here in this cell with me!" McKay turned around and indicated the bench behind him.

No one was sitting there.

Sheppard glared at him. "Enough of this. We're not on Earth, McKay, so when we come up with a way to make you answer for your crimes, I'll see to it that it's the harshest punishment possible." He turned and walked away.

"John!" McKay exclaimed. "This is wrong. It's all wrong!"

Sheppard didn't listen as he left the cell area. McKay felt like he had already received his punishment.

_______ _______ _______

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Sheppard exclaimed as he leveled his P-90 at Johanson. "I didn't expect to see you here, but now that I do...you've got some explaining to do."

Johanson smiled at him. "Is that so?"

He frowned. There was something odd about the man's voice. "It is so. You're responsible for a lot of innocent lives lost. You were responsible for killing people who looked up to you. You're worst than the Wraith."

Johanson actually had the audacity to throw back his head and laugh.

Sheppard didn't particularly like that. "What the hell's so funny?"

"We are not who you think we are."

"Who's we?"

Johanson laughed again and didn't answer the question. "Come. We are here to show you sights you have never seen." He laughed as he turned and went back the way he came. He didn't turn around to see if he was being followed.

Not wanting to loose the only lead he had to what had happened to his team, Sheppard followed with his P-90 leveled at Johanson's back. As they walked down the corridor among the dead, Sheppard had to ask. "What happened here on this ship?"

"What do you think happened, Sheppard?"

Sheppard came to two realizations. The first one was that the man he was following was not actually Johanson. There was just something way off about this whole thing. The second realization he had was he didn't like it that this thing knew his name. "I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Looks like a bad party gone worst. I've seen episodes on Girls Gone Wild that ended better than this."

Johanson laughed. "Ah, yes! We can see it in your mind."

Okay, that was not good. "I'd like for you to stay out of there if you don't mind." He had it figured out now. This had to be a very powerful and really screwed up in the head Queen who liked to mess with people's heads. She was making him see Johanson because she knew it would irritate him if his guide turned out to be a jerk. And that was just wrong, too, in his personal opinion. If a Queen was going to make herself look like someone from his mind, then why couldn't it be someone like Paris Hilton or Megan Fox? The Wraith Queen had to make herself look like Johanson? That was just wrong.

"You will know soon enough, John Sheppard..." Johanson turned to look at him. "...that we are every where."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you with the members of my team at the same time you're standing right here with me?"

A sadistic smile spread on Johanson's face. "Yes. We are."

"There's that 'we' again. Suffering from multiple personalities, are we?"

He laughed. "We could say that."

"What are you and your buddies doing to my friends?"

"We are showing them things."

"What kind of things?"

"We are showing them things they don't know about themselves."

Sheppard scowled. "What the hell does that mean?"

Johanson laughed. Apparently, it was something he liked to do a lot of. "Come. We will show you what we are not. We know what you think of us...but you are wrong."

Johanson took Sheppard into the Queen's chamber and stayed by the door. He waved his hand into the chamber. "Go, John Sheppard. See for yourself what we are not. You thought us to be a Queen. Go and see what is and is not."

Sheppard hated stupid riddles but he felt he had to see this through. He stepped into the chamber and stopped. Something very sticky was all over the floor. He looked down. It was blood. He looked around and saw more of the black sticky stuff. It was every where. On the floor, the ceiling and the walls. Then, he saw the Queens royal chair and what was sitting in it. Or what was left of it.

He stared, horrified.

He was looking at something that used to be a mighty Queen. It was drained completely of life, but her limbs had been ripped off before the end. Her mouth was still wide open in a silent scream of death. On her chest, he could see not one wound from where a Wraith would feed, but two wounds. Two Wraith had tortured and fed upon this Queen.

He almost felt bad for her. She had to have suffered greatly before the end.

Sheppard turned to face the thing that appeared as Johanson.

"We are not the Queen," it said to him. "We are the Destroyer of Queens!" It tossed back its head and laughed.

Somehow, Sheppard didn't see any of this as funny at all.

_______ _______ _______

Elizabeth was in the Control Room just seconds before Major Lorne and his team emerged through the Stargate from New Athos. She saw that they had Todd with them and he was moving of his own free will. At this stage of their relationship, Elizabeth decided that restraints were not necessary. But an armed escort was. Especially in light of the murdered interns.

"Dr. Elizabeth Weir," Todd said as he regarded her carefully. "How wonderful to see you again after all this time. I was pleased to hear that you are now back in the saddle as the saying goes."

"I'd like to say that I'm glad to see you, too," she said, folding her arms across herself.

Todd smiled. "But you aren't glad to see the Wraith who was fed from humans in your city. To be blunt, I had nothing to do with that, but I saw no reason to turn aside a meal. After all, your chefs haven't exactly brought anything to my table that I could truly stomach."

She glared at him. "You're here to tell me about Colonel Sheppard and his team."

"No," he corrected her. "I am here to wait for Colonel Sheppard and his team. Once they arrive, they will need to hear the rest of the story."

"What story?"

"I am certain that you are aware of how every story has a beginning, are you not?"

She looked at him, wondering where this conversation was going. "Of course, I am. What does that have to do with this?"

He paused as he looked around. "Every story does indeed have a beginning. So, too, do we."

She shook her head, puzzled. "I'm sorry...Todd, but I still don't follow. What exactly are you getting at? What do beginnings have to do with Colonel Sheppard and his team? If they're in any danger, I want to know about it right now. No more games."

"Dr. Weir, this is more than about simple beginnings. This is about the first of many."

Elizabeth was actually beginning to lose her patience. She looked at Major Lorne, who had been standing by since she walked up to the stargate.

Lorne understood her frustration. "Could you can it with the riddles? Just tell us plainly what the hell is going on."

Todd turned his head, frowned and looked at him. "'Can it'?"

Lorne just glared at him and waited.

Finally, Todd turned to look at Elizabeth who was also waiting as patiently as possible to hear about Sheppard and his team. The Wraith paused. Then, he took a step closer to her. "This is about the first of many," he said.

She nodded. "Yes, you said that. I still don't know what it means."

He lowered his voice. "The First Ancient. The First Wraith."

She looked at him, suddenly very interested. "The first...of many? The first Ancient and the first Wraith...What are you saying? That the evil you wanted us to find is about how it all began?"

"Not quite," he responded as he turned to face the stargate.

Elizabeth let out a sigh of frustration. "Damn it, Todd. Just tell us what this is about. If it's not about how it all began, then what is it about?"

For a moment, Todd remained silent. Finally, however, he turned ever so slowly and his eyes met Elizabeth's. When he spoke, she could not believe how it was possible that she heard a trace of fear there...but she did. Then he spoke, and what he said gave her shivers as well.

"It is about...how it will all end."

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-----3-----

Teyla found what she was looking for in the munitions storage. It was a Wraith stunner. She realized, however, that she might need something with more deadly force. Reluctantly, she took a P-90 and a Beretta as well. She took extra clips for both weapons, let the P-90 hang by its strap on her back and put the Beretta in a holster at her hip. With the Wraith stunner held in her hands and ready to fire, she headed out. As an after thought, she grabbed a life signs detector on her way out.

When she stopped in the hall to look at the detector, she was startled by what it was revealing to her. According to the detector, there were only three other life signs besides her own. If that were the case, where was every one else? What had happened to them?

Gathering her courage, she decided to head for the closest life sign. This one appeared to be in McKay's lab. She felt a surge of hope. Perhaps McKay was there, trapped in this nightmare as she was. He had to be. She hoped the two of them could figure our what had happened and find a way to reverse it. Another part of her just wanted to get to the Control Room and open the stargate to New Athos...but she had to see this through. For Colonel Sheppard and Ronon.

And on those thoughts, she found courage.

She moved quickly toward McKay's lab. She stopped outside the door and slowly peered in. She couldn't believe it. McKay's back was facing toward her, but he seemed to be focusing his attention on something in front of him. She thought it was his laptop. Perhaps he was working on a simulation of the virus for a cure. With the medical staff gone, McKay was the only one qualified to continue. He was the only one left.

She entered the lab, glad to see him. "Rodney!" she exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're alright. Come. You must help me stun the others so that we may find a way to help them."

McKay didn't turn around, but he did straighten. His hands were at his sides and they clenched into fists.

Teyla hesitated. "Rodney...? Did you not hear me? We have to move before..." She stopped as he began to turn.

Already she knew the hopelessness of her situation. One hand was blackened from the iratus virus. When McKay turned to glare at her through the eyes of a monster, she knew it was too late for him...and possibly for herself. She backed up a step. She shook her head. "Oh, Rodney...Rodney, what happened to you?"

McKay answered by charging her.

Teyla leveled the stunner and fired.

The blast hit McKay full in the chest...but it didn't even slow him down. If anything, it only seemed to anger him. He slammed into her hard and both of them went crashing over a table and onto the floor. The stunner fell from her grasp and slid out of reach, not that it would have done any good. McKay was on top of her, his human hand tight around her throat as he raised his other hand...The iratus infected hand. In horror, Teyla saw the mouth in his palm. He intended to feed on her.

She had to do something quick. Without thinking, she pulled out her Beretta and fired the pistol several times at point blank range. Mckay fell backward onto his back and suddenly lay still. Teyla pushed herself back away from him and leaned against the wall. She fought to catch her breath as she stared at the body of her friend.

McKay was dead. She had killed him. It was true that it had been done in self defense, but she had still done it. It didn't matter to her that he had been turned into a monster. As she looked at him, something began to happen. His body was changing. The iratus virus was fading from his body. She slowly sat up as McKay began to look more human, but his blood pooled out around him. He was human again, but nothing could change the fact that he was still quite dead.

She dropped the Beretta and put her hands to her mouth. "Oh, Rodney...what have I done?"

A noise to her left alerted her. She turned her head and found Sheppard filling the doorway.

"Hello, our Queen," he greeted with a malicious smile. "We have been looking forward to our joining."

She could do nothing as she watched him enter the room and move toward her.

_______ _______ _______

Somehow, Ronon had lost his pursuers. That was good because he had a plan to find out what exactly was going on here. He needed answers and there was only one place to find them. Before the attack of the Wraith on his homeworld, the woman he loved had worked in the hospital. He had seen Melena once, perhaps he would find her there.

Using alleys to travel deeper into the city, Ronon found his way to the hospital. He met no opposition on his way. Getting into the hospital had been relatively easy except for the painful memories it brought to him. He made his way to the ward she had once worked on. To his astonishment, he found that she was there, waiting for him.

She was standing by the window, her back to him as she looked out at the city. "We have been waiting for you, Ronon Dex," she said softly.

Ronon frowned. There was something odd about her voice. He didn't know everything about what was happening but he was certain she wasn't real. "How is it you are here?" he demanded in a hoarse growl. "What has been done to me? Answer me! Or I will kill you where you stand!"

Turning from the window, Melena frowned at him. "How could you threaten us? You know we love you so...yet you treat us as if we were the enemy."

He pointed accusingly at her. "You're not Melena! You're a thing. Don't take me for a fool. I know this is all wrong. You're trying to get me to kill my friends but it won't work. So you can drop this charade and show me the real you. Otherwise, I'm just going to kill you no matter what you make yourself look like. One way or the other, this farce will come to an end!"

Melena tilted her head back and laughed. "My, aren't you the strong one? We are impressed...but we are also not alarmed. You cannot hope to defeat us."

Ronon grabbed his sword from his back and twirled it in anticipation of battle. "Doesn't matter. Your mind tricks are just that...Tricks to hide behind because of your cowardice."

Melena pouted and bowed her head. "Aw...would you really stab us through with your sword, mighty warrior? Would you with one swipe of your sword remove our heads?"

"You insult me by taking on the likeness of someone in my past. You would be a fool to believe I won't strike you down. I know you are not Melena. She is already gone. And soon...so will you be." With a loud roar, he lunged forward and swung his sword.

But Melena abruptly disappeared.

Behind him, the doors slammed open and Sheppard, McKay and Teyla entered. They immediately spread out and opened fire. Ronon ran and dove behind a counter on the far side of the room. He dropped his sword, but his blaster was in his hand as he hunkered behind the counter to wait out the hail of bullets. Finally, the shooting stopped and silence filled the room.

That silence, however, was soon broken by Sheppard.

"You can save us all a lot of trouble by coming out of there," he said conversationally. "There's no way out. You're surrounded. You might as well give up."

"If I come out there," Ronon growled, "you'll shoot me."

"You're damned right we will. But if you don't come out, we'll just toss a couple of grenades at you. Either we, we've got you cornered like the dog you are." Sheppard shrugged as if it didn't matter to him one way or the other. "No matter how you look at it, you're a goner."

Ronon closed his eyes and tapped his forehead with his blaster. How the hell did this happen? What was that thing that had taken the form of Melena and where had it gone? Why couldn't the others see it? He opened his eyes. Or maybe they were a part of it. Maybe this entire thing was an elaborate hoax and he was the ultimate target.

He sighed. He knew what he had to do.

"You want to go out in a blaze of glory, Sheppard? Is that is?" he asked, grinning in spite of himself as he reached over for the sword that had fallen. He gripped it in one hand and readied the blaster in the other.

Sheppard let out a chuckle. "Sure, Ronon. Let's do that. Let's have the grandest last stand of all time. What do you say?"

Ronon didn't say. He got up and came out of hiding with a blaster in one hand and a sword in the other. He fired away as the others returned fire at him. He let out a war cry and let loose the dogs of war.

_______ _______ _______

McKay was surprised when he received visitors. Dr. Carson Beckett and Dr. Radek Zelenka had arrived to see him, but McKay wasn't at all sure it was anything good. So far, any visits he had received were nothing but depressing. And he was starving because he couldn't eat the food Sheppard had brought him. The tray was on the end of the bench in his cell, completely untouched. All McKay could do was look at it forlornly and curse his allergic condition against anything citrus.

Including lemon.

Thank you oh so very much, Sheppard! he cried inwardly.

Now Beckett and Zelenka were looking at him through the door as if he were some kind of a zoo animal. He wondered which animal would best fit the profile for him at the moment. A lion? No, that wouldn't do. If that were the case, he would go down fighting. A hyena perhaps? No...not that either. He certainly didn't feel much like laughing.

Then, he had it.

A squirrel. He was a squirrel in a cage, skittish over everything.

He rolled his eyes. That was just so appropriate for him.

Beckett had seen him roll his eyes. "What's wrong?"

McKay frowned. "What's wrong? I stand in a cell awaiting punishment for a crime I didn't commit and you ask me what's wrong? I lose respect from everyone who has ever meant anything to me and you dare to ask me what's wrong? I can't even see Jennifer one last time and --"

"Okay, we get it. According to you, everything's wrong. Forgive me for asking."

"Come on, Carson. Do you see anything that's right about all this? You can't seriously tell me that I would go behind everyone's back and give a dangerous program to a backward's people so that they could destroy their solar system, can you? You know I didn't do this!"

Zelenka snorted. "We know you did. You should stop denying it and give in to the inevitability of it all."

McKay scowled at him. "How can you say that? You of all people should know I'm innocent."

"Me of all people? How can you say such a thing? Do you seriously think I could trust you after this? You killed billions of people, Rodney...and you will pay for it. I only hope I'm sitting in the front row when it happens. You give scientists like me who are really trying to make a difference in people's lives a bad name. You're the reason why people see us as geeks!"

"What? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Beckett was losing patience. "Alright, that's enough from both of you." He sighed and looked at McKay as patiently as he could. "Look, we didn't come down here to see you out of any friendship you might think we have left, Rodney...because quite frankly, you destroyed our friendship by your betrayal."

McKay swallowed. "Carson...what are you saying?"

"We're not your friends any more. None of us are. Not Colonel Sheppard or Teyla. Not Ronon. Not a single person in Atlantis would even dare to think of you as a friend, because here in this city, you don't have any friends. Not any more."

"Wait a minute. That's not fair. I'm being written off without even a trial. Carson, this is all a big mistake."

"You can call it what you want to and it won't make one bit of difference. You have a lot of explaining to do. Seriously, I think it would go easier for you if you just admit what you did and take whatever punishment you are given. Either way, everyone wants this over with as quickly as possible. You've hurt a lot of people. If there's anything good left in that soul of yours, you should be as cooperative as possible."

"But I didn't do it!"

"Alright, fine then. Drag this whole thing on further and make it harder for everyone else. Why not? You always think of yourself before others anyway. I tried to reason with you. It clearly isn't doing any good. Well, I'm done with you. May you find whatever peace you can before it's all over. I doubt I'll ever find any because of what you did." He abruptly turned around and started to walk away.

"Carson!" McKay exclaimed. "Wait a minute! Carson, come back here!"

But Beckett didn't come back. Zelenka was left standing there with his arms folded across his chest. "I can't wait to see you get what you deserve."

McKay sighed as he turned to look at him. "Radek...I'm being framed."

Zelenka laughed. "Of course, you are, Rodney. Like I've never heard that one before." He gave him a mock salute. "See you around...to the bitter end." He turned and walked away.

McKay shouted after him. "Fine! Go on, both of you! I don't need you anyway. I don't need anyone!" But he swallowed because even he didn't believe what he was saying. Was it possible that he did what he was accused of? Was he wrong? He began to doubt himself. His life was soon to be over so what did it matter? No one was listening to him anyway.

He turned around and froze.

To his surprise, Jennifer Keller was sitting on the bench wearing a very revealing dress, eating the food from his tray.

_______ _______ ________

Sheppard couldn't possibly comprehend anything capable of killing a Queen, and yet the evidence was as plain as day. This Queen had been fed upon by two powerful Wraith after they had relentlessly tortured her. He believed that this Johanson look-a-like was one of those Wraith. The Wraith was using some kind of a mind trick to make him think he could see Johanson. The only problem was...where the hell was the other Wraith?

Johanson laughed. "We know what you are thinking."

Sheppard glared at him. "Oh, 'we' do, do 'we'?"

"You are afraid."

"I'm afraid for my people. Where are they?"

Johanson began to approach him.

Sheppard brought up the P-90. "I will shoot you."

"That, we have no doubt of. However, if you will allow us...we will show you where your friends are." He smiled at him.

That smile repulsed Sheppard. Finally, he shrugged. "Okay. Fine. Show me."

Johanson showed him. He simply tapped Sheppard's forehead with his finger and the floodgates of thought poured into Sheppard's head. Sheppard didn't know it, but he fell to his knees as images surrounded him. In his mind, he saw what Teyla was going through. He saw her shoot the monster that had been McKay. He saw McKay's body become human again. He saw McKay in a cell on Atlantis, facing off against a Jennifer Keller who was not Jennifer Keller. He saw Ronon's last stand with himself and his own team...and Ronon was a Wraith. He saw it all from the time they arrived at the hive ship to the very end. He saw it and was heart broken for his friends.

This can't be happening! Sheppard screamed in his mind. This isn't real!

No, the evil agreed. It isn't happening. But it is real.

Get out of their heads, you son-of-a-bitch! Get out of mine!

Laughter surrounded him. It was cold and harsh and sadistic. The laughter echoed all around him until he opened his eyes and found himself on his knees before the slain Queen. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to run away...but he didn't. He wouldn't. Not until he had McKay, Ronon and Teyla. Leave no one behind was his motto and he damned well intended to stick to it or die trying. And he would have them one way or the other. Screw the evil! he thought angrily.

"You fight us!" Johanson said from behind him. "You are strong! You are a formidable opponent against us, John Sheppard. That is why we wanted to see you."

Sheppard paused. "Todd told you about us..."

The evil laughed. "We saw you...since the day you first came to Pegasus."

Sheppard remained on his knees, but he turned his head and glared at Johanson. "How? How did you see us?"

It laughed again. "We see all!"

"What the hell are you?"

Johanson regarded him for a moment. Then, his image began to change. He was turning into something right before Sheppard's eyes and he found that he could not bring himself to look away even if he wanted to. Johanson began to fade away...but in his place was the biggest Wraith Sheppard had ever seen. The damned thing had to have been nine feet tall, muscles bulging in its biceps, its shoulders. It had long black hair in dreadlocks. Its hands were at its sides but facing outward so that he could see them. Each palm had the mouth where the Wraith fed from.

Sheppard swallowed. Two Wraith didn't kill this Queen. Only one did. This one.

"What we are is Death," it said. "We are Legion, John Sheppard, for we are many. And we like to play with our food...before we feast!"

_______ _______ _______

Elizabeth was unable to get anything more from Todd. She directed him to wait in the conference room with Major Lorne. From the balcony, she leaned on the railings and watched the silent stargate below her. All she wanted was for Colonel Sheppard and his team to return. She suddenly regretted authorizing this mission, but unfortunately what was done was done. There was no turning back now.

Behind her, three people approached. Dr. Jennifer Keller was one of them and she had a personal reason for wanting to be present as well as a professional interest. Dr. Carson Beckett fit the same category. Dr. Willow Rosen, however, was present because Elizabeth had a suspicion that her expertise would be needed. There was no way to tell what frame of mind her people would be in if they returned.

Elizabeth closed her eyes. When, she corrected herself. She needed to place more faith in her people than that.

"Any word?" Beckett asked.

She shook her head. "Not yet. But they've still got several minutes before they're due to check in with us."

Jennifer watched her closely. "That's great...but you seem as if we should be worried." She paused. "So...should we be?"

"We never know what to expect when any of our people go through the gate."

Jennifer frowned. "But we did know what was at this gate address. A great evil. I think any kind of evil, great or small, should be avoided at all cost. Evil is something we should flee from...not run to."

Elizabeth looked at her. "They know the risks."

"So do I. We all know the damned risks, Elizabeth. Don't you think there should be a point where we don't press on when we really shouldn't?" She wanted to say what was really on her heart. She wanted to tell Elizabeth that she had lost her father and she didn't want to lose McKay, too.

Elizabeth knew what she was thinking. She could see it in her eyes. "They're coming back," she said.

"I will hold you to that."

Beckett glanced at Willow and Jennifer before he returned his focus on Elizabeth. "I don't mean to sound like a broken record here, Elizabeth, but you wanting us present when they return tells me you may be expecting wounded."

"Your presence is just a precaution."

Willow tilted her head. "Am I a precaution as well?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. Listen, all of you. I don't know exactly what Colonel Sheppard and the others are facing. Todd has given me the impression that they will return to us...and when they do, they're going to need us."

Jennifer shook her head. "Why do we continue to trust Todd with our lives? He didn't give us much detail about what was out there and yet we send a team out anyway."

"If there is something out there that proves to be a threat to all of us - including the Wraith - we need to know what it is and find a way to deal with it."

"What if they miss their check-in time?"

"Major Lorne will take a team to investigate."

Jennifer sighed. "So all we can do now is...wait."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement. Forlornly, they looked down at the stargate and did the hardest thing anyone could do under the circumstances. They waited.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-----4-----

"John! Whatever it is that is happening to you...you can fight it!" Teyla pleaded as she had her back to the wall.

Sheppard was moving toward her. Behind him, Ronon, also infected with the iratus bug, entered McKay's lab, a feral grin on his blackened face. On the floor several feet away lay the body of McKay. Teyla still could not believe what she had done...but she didn't have time to process it. She didn't have time to grieve.

Sheppard stopped right in front of her. "Our Queen," he said. "Finally...you will be ours."

Teyla tried to think of a way out of this and as she did, something occurred to her. Something that had been bothering her since this whole nightmare began. She had dismissed it before because of her fear. Now that the final confrontation was upon her, something changed. She could feel it. There was a deep sense of anticipation in the air, like charged energy...but it wasn't coming from Sheppard or Ronon.

It was coming from a very strong presence. A Wraith presence.

"Who are you?" she suddenly demanded. She looked past Sheppard and Ronon. She looked toward the open door. "Show yourself!"

"We are right here, our Queen," Sheppard said.

Teyla looked at him. His voice had changed. There was a quality to it that frightened her. It was like the voice of thousands speaking all at once. That wasn't the only thing she noticed. She could literally feel its presence in her mind so whatever it was, it was also definitely Wraith...but by far this was the strongest Wraith she had ever come across and the most unstable.

It was mad.

"What are you?" she asked tensely.

"You know what we are," the thing said. "You can see us."

To her horror, she could. It was one Wraith with two mouth-hands. This was like none any of them had ever encountered. She could even sense the other Wraith it had drained life from. Thousands upon thousands of Wraith had died horribly from this creature. It drained them of not only life but their very essence as well. Everything they had been was now stored into the mind of this hideous creature. Somehow, it retained all of the knowledge of its victims. To her horror, she realized that most of its victims had been Queens.

Sheppard and Ronon were gone. The creature now stood before her, towering over her. "Yes," it hissed. "Yes, you see us, our Queen."

Teyla would have backed up if she had been able. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. "I...am not your Queen."

The thing leered at her. "You cannot fight it." He leaned toward her. "You will belong to us...and we will belong to you. It is you, Teyla Emmagan, for there can be no other."

She swallowed back a taste of bile in her throat. "If you mean to kill me, then do it! For I belong to no one. I certainly do not belong to a monster like you."

It reared back its head and laughed. Then, it brought its face closer to hers. "You do not understand. We will have you as our Queen. Together, we will dominate and destroy. By our side, you will always be for it is where you belong."

She saw the madness in its eyes. "You kill Queens. Why should I be any different that you would want me?"

"We know you are very special. You are Wraith and human. You are the one."

That wasn't something Teyla had wanted to hear. She slid down the wall and onto the floor. She was overcome with horror and revulsion. As she sat there hoping the nightmare would end, the thing's laughter echoed all around her.

_______ _______ _______

Bullets were flying every where in the enclosed ward inside the hospital. They shattered everything in their path and ripped deeply into flesh. Ronon was in a full-blooded rage and completely ignored the pain. If anything, the pain only added to the euphoric rush he was suddenly on. When he knew the end was coming, he decided that he was going to go out in a blaze of glory. He knew that was how his end would be and he knew that Sheppard, Teyla and Mckay - the real Sheppard, Teyla and McKay - would honor him.

He didn't give a damn about these impostors. In fact, he would gladly take them all with him if he could. As he hit the floor, still firing his blaster, he was pleased to see McKay take a shot full in the face. As McKay went down, he abruptly stopped firing. Grinning like a mad man, Ronon took another dive and rolled toward McKay's prone body. He had dropped his sword, but he quickly replaced it with McKay's P-90.

Ronon fired the P-90 at Sheppard as he fired the blaster at Teyla. More bullets struck Ronon but he heard a grunt from Sheppard and watched Teyla fall behind one of the hospital beds. He didn't know if he had struck her or not, but she didn't get back up. She stayed out of sight.

The shooting suddenly stopped. Ronon aimed the P-90 and blaster at Sheppard as Sheppard leveled his P-90 at Ronon. Both of them were wounded, bleeding from several shots that had hit their mark. In spite of it, Ronon still grinned.

"What are you so cheerful about?" Sheppard asked as if they were in a park on a nice sunny afternoon.

"I'm taking you down with me," Ronon replied. "That's what puts this smile on my face."

Sheppard sighed. "Well, Ronon...for a Wraith, you're certainly one determined son-of-a-bitch."

"I'm not a Wraith."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"I'm not a Wraith," he said again, "and you're not Colonel John Sheppard."

"Really. Last time I checked...I was me. If any one of us is not who we're supposed to be, it would be you."

"This whole thing is wrong. The thing is...I would have bought into it if you hadn't have done one thing." He paused as he glanced around. "You appeared as Melena."

Sheppard grinned in disbelief. "I did?"

Ronon glared at him. "No...not you. You, Sheppard, are a distraction. You and McKay...and Teyla...you were all pawns to test me. You're not real. And because you're not real, I can do this." He opened fire with the P-90 and the blaster.

Sheppard tried to fire back, but the blast from the blaster took him full in the chest, followed by several bullets from the P-90. Sheppard went down hard and he didn't get back up.

Angrily, Ronon tossed down his weapons and glared around the room. "I'm done! Now show yourself and let's finish this!" As he spoke, he reached down to pick up his sword. He wanted to fight this thing like a true warrior. With a few experimental twirls and thrusts, he anticipated the arrival of the beast.

He was surprised when he finally saw his tormentor.

It was the biggest and ugliest Wraith he had ever seen. For a time, the two stood across the room from each other, sizing each other up. Suddenly, Ronon raised his sword, shouted a warcry and charged at the Wraith. The Wraith easily sidestepped Ronon and swung at him with a large claw. Ronon saw it coming and rolled out of the way. When he got back to his feet, he lunged again. The Wraith laughed and grabbed Ronon by the wrists. He tossed him across the room.

Ronon hit the wall and fell to the floor. But he rolled right back onto his feet and swung the sword. The Wraith quickly backed away as the sword swung by, a mere inch from his face. When the sword was gone, he kicked Ronon in the chest and made the man fall backward. He watched with sadistic glee as the human refused to stay down. Ronon was back on his feet and ready for more.

"You cannot defeat us!" the Wraith hissed.

"Doesn't matter," Ronon replied with a shrug. "Either way, one of us leaves here alive."

"That would not be you."

"I don't care. I've always known I'll go down fighting you scum. At least if I die, I die knowing I stayed true to my purpose. You can't take that from me."

The Wraith looked at him for a moment. As if it came to a decision, it rose to its full height and then simply disappeared.

Ronon looked around, puzzled. Suddenly, he was standing in the doorway of the jumper parked in the bay of the hive ship. He heard a sound from behind him and turned. Teyla was sitting in the back of the jumper, a look of bewilderment on her face. He looked at his hands and realized he was himself again. He wasn't a Wraith.

"Teyla?" he inquired.

She didn't answer him.

_______ _______ _______

"This can't be good," McKay said miserably when he saw the way Jennifer was looking at him.

She sat on the bench, picking through the tray of food beside her. The look on her face was one of contempt. "You sicken us."

Inwardly, he cringed. Why did everyone hate him all of a sudden? Why did Jennifer hate him when he truly did love her so much? "Okay...this really is bad." He swallowed. "Jennifer...please, listen to me. Whatever it is you think I did...well, I didn't."

She just looked at him. Finally, she said, "You are a brilliant man, Rodney McKay. Everyone is jealous of you because you are smarter than they are."

He frowned. He shook his head. "That's not true."

"You are abandoned by everyone you care about. Even by us."

"By us? You mean...I'm abandoned by you...and myself?" He frowned as he looked away from her. "Wait a minute...wait, wait, wait. Something is very off here." He tried to think it through. "This can't be real. I didn't help destroy another solar system and...and my friends didn't turn against me. You want me to think that they did." He looked at Jennifer. "Even your voice is all wrong and...and..." He swallowed. "There's one other thing."

"What is that?" Jennifer demanded.

He swallowed again. "Jennifer would never and I mean never wear such a - oh, my God - a revealing dress like that in public. You! You're practically flaunting yourself in it and if you were really her, I might actually like it...but, but you're not. So why don't you stop this nonsense and reveal yourself...and let's just get this over with."

Jennifer grinned maliciously. "Very well. As you wish." Abruptly, she turned from Jennifer to a very tall, very masculine Wraith that towered over McKay by several feet.

McKay swallowed again. "Oh, boy...Could you please turn back into Jennifer right now? I really like the dress."

The Wraith laughed at him.

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard felt like he had swam in a strong current for several miles and was trying to get his breath back. He was on his knees beside a dead Queen while a Wraith called Legion stood off in front of the only way out laughing like a mad man. This Wraith was strong and currently in the heads of his friends while at the same time here in this room with him.

It was time to change that.

Sheppard suddenly brought up his P-90 and fired into the thing's chest. Legion stood there and roared as the bullets hit him. He began to stumble back toward the wall left of the doorway. Sheppard rose to his feet with his finger locked onto the trigger. The weapon clicked on empty. He dropped the empty clip and slapped in a fresh one.

Legion pushed himself away from the wall, glaring at Sheppard, as black blood dripped from his mouth. He roared in defiance.

Sheppard took a few steps closer and fired again. He was determined to kill this freak of a Wraith Frankenstein.

The bullets struck Legion and slammed him back into the wall. The hail of bullets continued to come until the weapon once more clicked on empty. Sheppard watched as Legion slid to the floor but it still glared up at him with a bloody smile on its face.

"You cannot defeat us..." it whispered.

"Maybe not," Sheppard said as he withdrew his Beretta, "but I sure as hell can try." He emptied the clip into Legion's chest. Then, he turned and began to run out of the room.

He didn't stop until he got back to the bay where he found the jumper fully intact with his friends waiting inside. The four of them exchanged worried looks. McKay, however, avoided eye contact. So did Teyla, who also had tears in her eyes. That was something that was not a common occurrence. Sheppard closed the hatch and got into his seat. As he started the jumper, a voice sounded from within his mind.

"When next we meet," it said, "you will have to do better than that."

Sheppard sighed. With one more look at the others to make certain they were all there, he flew the jumper the hell out of there as fast as he could.

_______ _______ _______

"We have gate activation!" Amelia exclaimed from the Control Room.

Elizabeth was aware of that even before the announcement. She hoped fervently that it was Sheppard and the others. Once the event horizon was firmly established and the IDC code received, the shield was dropped. A short time later, a jumper came through to hover above the floor. As the stargate shut off, Elizabeth looked through the windshield, relieved to see Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon and McKay alive and intact. But their expressions were very solemn.

She tried to give them an encouraging smile. Sheppard nodded. Then, the jumper went up through the open hatch on its way to the bay.

She turned and joined the others in the conference room.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-----Epilogue-----

There were grim faces all around the table in the conference room. Sheppard and his team sat on one side of the table with Elizabeth at the head of it. On the other side sat Jennifer, Willow, Beckett and Lorne. At the far end opposite of Elizabeth sat Todd. Todd was watching Sheppard, Teyla, McKay and Ronon closely.

Finally, Todd was the first to speak. "Did you come face to face with the evil I warned you of, John Sheppard?"

Sheppard scowled at him. "By the evil, you mean a giant Wraith that can suck life from two hands and is crazier than Jack Nicholson who flew over the cuckoos nest? Then, yes, I came face to face with it." He glanced at the members of his team. "We all did."

"It cannot be defeated."

"If that thing can be hurt, it can be killed."

Todd raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Really? And how many shots did you put into it before it allowed you to leave?"

Sheppard glared at him. "I didn't miss."

"You didn't kill it."

He paused. Finally, he let out a sigh. "No. I don't believe I did."

"What exactly is this super Wraith you're talking about?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

Sheppard told her. He explained everything that he had seen and heard. He included what he had witnessed of the others through Legion's link with him. Teyla, Ronon and McKay looked surprised that he had seen what they had been going through. They were even more surprised that he spoke so freely about it.

When he was done, he looked at them. "Look, this is too big to keep it to ourselves. This Wraith is different and we're going to have to fight it differently than we have with the other Wraith. It clearly tried to get us to be against each other. We can't let it do that. We are stronger together and together is how we're going to fight this thing. Okay?"

Teyla hesitated. "I...understand. It is hard, but you are right. If we don't keep any secrets from each other, then those secrets cannot be used against us."

Solemnly, Ronon nodded his agreement. "Sheppard...what I did--"

"Is what you had to do," Sheppard told him. "Hell, I would hope I could do the same thing, Ronon." He looked at Teylay and Mckay. "You all did what had to be done and I can't blame you for it." He looked at McKay. "Are you okay with that?"

McKay shrugged. "Yes. Yes. I don't like it...but whatever we have to do, right?"

"Besides, what you guys experienced wasn't a part of reality," Sheppard told them. "That thing was just messing with your heads."

"How do you know it's not messing with our heads now?" McKay countered.

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's not, Rodney. You are home on Atlantis."

"How can I be sure?"

"Dr. Rosen is new on Atlantis. You haven't met her until now. Legion doesn't know about her and wouldn't place her in your mind unless he did."

Mckay looked at Willow who smiled reassuringly at him. "Okay...Plus, she is dressed appropriately so I know it's not a mind trick."

Everyone but Sheppard looked puzzled. Sheppard couldn't help but grin and shake his head.

Mckay shook his head. "Forget I said that."

Jennifer smiled reassuringly at him, trying to make eye contact with him. He looked away.

Sheppard turned to Todd. "Okay, now that I've said all that needed to be said...I think it's time you tell us what Legion is."

Todd nodded slowly. "Of course. He is the First."

"The first what?" Lorne demanded. "You said that before and didn't give us an answer."

"I believe in your culture, you have stories that have been handed down throughout the generations. Stories you pass on to your children. We, too, have such stories. One of them is about two brothers who strove together in a field. One was slain...turned into a ball of white light and vanished. The other was outcast and banished to live alone. He found a cave and conquered those that lived deep within." He looked at Sheppard. "You have been in a cave once before like this one."

"You're talking about where we found the iratus bugs," he said. Sheppard leaned forward. "Are you telling me this guy killed his brother who became ascended...and then he went into a cave to become one with the iratus bugs?"

"We are talking of origins, John Sheppard. This is the origin of Legion. We cannot say what happened in that cave...only that when he came out, he was not the same. He became mad. He killed for the pleasure of it. Whom he killed, he retained...up here." He tapped his forehead. "The more he took, the more he lost his own mind." He paused. "The story says that he found people who were willing to worship him. He took their women into the cave..." He shrugged. "The rest is merely conjecture. And it is only a story, but in stories, there may be bits of truth. Our race thrived hundreds of thousands of years ago, and when we did, he began to take Queens for himself. He would slaughter every Wraith in the hive ship before he got to her. There he would torture her for a very long time. Finally, he would take what was left of her and add to his power. It is why we call him Legion because every Queen he takes, he has all of their memories. He speaks as if he is more than one." He paused. "And perhaps he is."

"How is it that he's here now?" Elizabeth asked. "Where has he been all this time?"

Todd paused as he considered his answer. Finally, he said, "He was captured by the Ancestors and placed into a very strong stasis pod...right here on Atlantis. I believe that when you arrived for the first time in the city and when the city rose to the surface...something triggered his release."

Sheppard stared at him. "What? Are you saying we woke him up?"

Todd nodded once. "Indeed, John Sheppard. That is exactly what I am saying. Your very arrival to this city several years ago...could be the beginning of the end of everything. Legion is only gaining his strength after being imprisoned for so long. When he is ready, he will unleash death on countless millions." He paused. "And you do not have the means to stop him."

_____________________________________________________________________________  
___________________________________________________________________________


	5. Dead World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth Weir leads a mission to a planet called Dead World in the hopes of finally forging an Alliance to help defeat the Wraith. She leaves Atlantis in the hands of Colonel Stephen Caldwell. Caldwell finds trouble with the locals from Troye and the past comes back for Teyla in Mount Fortress.

\-------Prologue-------

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry, but the prognosis isn't good for Mr. Woolsey," Dr. Carson Beckett said in his thick accent, which clearly showed how frustrated he was. They were standing off to the side in the infirmary as they tried to have a private discussion. Beckett didn't really have a private office, it was open and he rarely used it anyway except when he actually needed to do research. In Richard Woolsey's case, there was nothing required for further research. "He's been in a coma since that woman put a bullet into him. We got the bullet out but there was a lot of internal damage. I'm afraid moving him right now is not the best course of action. He needs to stay put until he can be moved."

Elizabeth Weir closed her eyes as she took in Beckett's words. "But wouldn't he receive the care he needed if we sent him back to earth?"

"Sure, he would. I'm certain of it. It's the trip through the wormhole that I'm worried about. I don't believe it's a good idea to be putting him through that at the moment. That's a roller coaster ride I wouldn't recommend." He looked at her. "Besides, he is receiving excellent care here in Atlantis. Dr. Staci Coh has been giving assistance herself and she has made her staff available from Troye. I find their help to be quite invaluable. Perhaps we can do something to help Mr. Woolsey, but truthfully, it's really up to him right now."

"So all we can do is wait. That's what you're saying."

He nodded. "Afraid so."

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Alright, Carson. Please let me know if there is any change. Send a message through if need be."

He looked at her, puzzled. "Aren't you heading off to some important meetings with the Coalition and the Genii? Do you think it's a good idea for me to interrupt if there were any changes in his condition? I wouldn't want to make a blunder in the middle of something as important as that."

"Yes, I do think it's a good idea. Let's show them how much we regard each other. I think they'll excuse this type of interruption."

"If you say so. Frankly, I'd prefer not going to any political party where the Genii are concerned."

"Not just the Genii."

"Right. The Coalition, too." Beckett frowned. "Weren't they the ones who placed Colonel Sheppard's team on trial for killing millions of people in Pegasus because we woke the Wraith up?"

Elizabeth nodded once. "Yes. They are the ones. I'm sorry I missed that one. I heard Richard won them over with nothing but his wits and charm."

"Seems to me with that bunch, you'll need a whole lot more than wits and charm. When do you leave, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Within the hour."

"And who's in charge while you're away?" He shrugged helplessly. "It just seems odd that you're reinstated as head of Atlantis and now you're going off on a mission. Not that I'm complaining or suggesting that you shouldn't be. I'd just like to know who I would need to be coming to when and if Mr. Woolsey's condition changes."

She couldn't help but smile. "That would be Colonel Caldwell."

"Oh, bloody hell. Forgive me, Elizabeth, but isn't that like me putting Rodney in charge of the infirmary while I'm away on assignment?"

"You mean like a bull in a china shop? Carson, just because he's military doesn't mean he's going to shoot first and ask questions later. I'm sure he'll do fine. He knows the score. And he knows how important this mission is. In fact, I'd say it's the most important thing going on in Pegasus right now since we've been back." She smiled encouragingly at him. "And don't worry. I'm sure nothing will ever happen that will make me approve putting Dr. McKay in charge of your infirmary while you're away."

Beckett sighed. "Well, that's a bloody relief. But you can't really promise that, now can you? Stranger things have happened and I wouldn't be surprised if it did. Mortified, yes, but not surprised."

Elizabeth smiled again and left him to his work as she headed out of the infirmary. As she did, she heard a familiar voice sounding out from her ear piece.

"Colonel Sheppard to Dr. Weir..."

"Go ahead, John."

"Jumpers 1 and 2 are ready to go with all accounted for and present...except for one."

She smiled wryly. "Let me guess. That would be me who's making you wait."

It was hard to ignore the humor in his voice. "I'd say that's a pretty accurate guess. Now we could lift off and go through the gate ahead of you to reach our destination, but then if you followed after us...Well, let's just say that wouldn't be a nice atmosphere to walk into. They don't call it Dead World for nothing."

"I'm on my way."

"We're waiting, but we're not holding our breaths."

_______ _______ _______

"We're waiting, but we're not holding our breaths," Colonel John Sheppard replied into his radio and then with a cocky grin, he sat back to wait for their final passenger.

As he did, he began to realize that he was being watched. He turned his head. His team were in their seats; Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagan and Dr. Rodney McKay. One other person sat behind them and that was Dr. Jennifer Keller. They were all looking at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Teyla grinned at him. "We're not holding our breaths?"

He shrugged and turned to look out the windshield. "Well, we're not, are we?"

Teyla and Jennifer shared a look. "I think I know what's going on," Jennifer said.

"Yes," McKay agreed impatiently. "We're waiting to get going so we can suffer through another horrendous meeting with a bunch of people who - for the most part - want us dead. That's what's going on. I, for one, would rather face a hive ship than the people we're going to see."

"That's not exactly what I meant." Jennifer opened her mouth to continue.

But she was interrupted by Ronon. "I agree with McKay," he said to Sheppard. "I think this mission isn't worth the hassle. We don't have time to deal with this kind of crap. These people aren't our biggest fans. They've tried to stop us, even out right tried to kill us more than I can count. It's a big waste of time."

Sheppard shrugged. "We have to do it anyway. Just on the slight chance that someone over there actually begins to listen and...who knows? Maybe we can make some friends out of this."

"They can't be trusted. At least we know what to expect from the Wraith."

"Yeah, well, there's a new one out there who isn't exactly right in the head and because of him, we're going to need all the help we can get."

With those words, Elizabeth arrived and closed the hatch behind her. She greeted the others as she took her seat in the co-pilot's chair beside Sheppard. "Are we ready?" she asked.

"We are," he assured her.

"Then, dial it up and let's go."

Sheppard pressed the DHD symbols as he radioed Jumper 2 to let them know it was time. "Major Lorne, we're going in."

"Right behind you, Colonel," came Lorne's response.

Sheppard piloted Jumper 1 out of the bay and into the Control Room where the active stargate waited for them. "Dead World, here we come," he said, not overly enthusiastic.

"Doesn't sound like a place I'd want to visit," Jennifer replied.

"But you have to admit, it's the idea place for a secret meeting," Elizabeth responded. "The Wraith would never think of a world whose surface had been destroyed as a good place to build a small base. The Coalition have been secretly building it for years, right under their noses. The Genii have been helping them since Atlantis went to earth. And we're about to see the results of their union."

Sheppard moved the jumper toward the event horizon. "Then, let's go take a look, shall we?"

They entered into the stargate. When they came out through the other side, they literally thought they had entered into a place out of Dante's Inferno. The sky was black to the north and blood red to the south. The ground was littered with rotten shells of buildings that once may have been tall enough to reach for the skies. Fires were still burning every where they looked. The air was a poisonous toxic mist. The view sobered up every one in both jumpers.

Sheppard swallowed. "There's a sight you don't see every day," he said softly.

"Or ever want to see again!" McKay snapped. "Whose bright idea was this?" He suddenly turned pale as he glared at the laptop monitor he was holding. He swallowed. "We should get to wherever we have to get to as fast as we can."

"Why?" Ronon demanded. "We're safe in the jumper, aren't we?"

Sheppard nodded. "We are. We took precautions with both jumpers before we left. We should be fine, right, Rodney? It's not like we're going to be out here for a long period of time. Just enough time to get through the gate and to the Coalition hideout."

McKay swallowed.

"McKay! Are we good?"

"What? Yes, yes! We're holding steady. But the jumpers are going to need a new paint job when this is over."

Jennifer placed a hand on her arm. "Maybe we should paint one blue."

He looked at her, frowning. "What?"

She shook her head. "Never mind."

"Look, Sheppard...are we there yet?"

Sheppard nodded. "We're getting there. They said it was on the other side of the city...or whatever's left of this city. There's a mountain ahead of us that looks like it's had some sheared off from the top."

Elizabeth pointed. "There's a cave. That looks big enough to fly into."

"Then, that's where we're going."

He flew the jumper into the cave, with Jumper 2 following behind. They came to what appeared to be a dead end and hovered to a stop.

Sheppard cleared his throat. "This is Colonel John Sheppard to Mount Fortress. We have arrived and are awaiting entry. Please respond."

The response was immediate. "Colonel Sheppard, we have been expecting you. Welcome to Mount Fortress."

Suddenly, there was a rumble. It increased and McKay was convinced that there was going to be a cave-in. There lives were about to end. But instead, the rock wall in front of them literally disappeared into the ground only to reveal a long tunnel. The tunnel had been built by man. Sheppard flew into it with Lorne piloting Jumper 2 behind them. Once both jumpers were in the tunnel, the wall closed up behind them. They came to the end of the tunnel and waited.

McKay swallowed. "Oh, no..."

Out through the windshield, they could see flashes of multi-colors and they heard a loud whining sound.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, concerned.

"Nothing!" McKay snapped.

Jennifer shrugged helplessly. "He doesn't like car washes. I think this is as close to a jumper wash as you can get."

"A car wash?" Ronon inquired with a frown.

"You drive your car into it," Sheppard explained, "and you wait for it to be cleaned by the scrubbers and hoses outside your car. Some of them are pretty loud and annoying." He looked at McKay. "Are you telling me you're afraid of them? This is nothing like that. This is a type of decontamination and we were warned about it."

"I'm not afraid of car washes," McKay protested. "I just don't like them."

"Why?"

McKay let out a sigh of irritation. "Because I don't like car washes! What don't you understand about that?"

"Oh, you can tell them, Rodney." Jennifer turned to Sheppard. "Some of Jeannie's friends tied him up in a big sack when he was 10, tossed him into the back of a truck and then took him into a car wash."

McKay glared at her. "Why did you tell them that?!"

Jennifer suddenly realized that she had broken a confidence. She was about to apologize when Elizabeth said, "No one can blame you for that, Rodney. I'm sure it was a traumatic experience."

"Of course, it was traumatic!" McKay exclaimed. "I smelled like lemon freshener for a month and sneezed for a lot longer after that. It wasn't a pleasant experience."

"I'm sorry you had to suffer such a thing, Rodney," Teyla said, appalled at the behavior of some teenagers on McKay's world.

"Thank you." He glared at Sheppard. "Are we done yet?"

As if on queue, the noise stopped and the large bay doors in front of them opened up. Sheppard piloted the jumper into a large cavernous room where two other vessels were parked. A group of people were standing around, waiting. Sheppard set down next to the other ships and noticed that Lorne was doing the same.

He turned to face Elizabeth. "This should be interesting."

"Yes, it should," she agreed.

They prepared to head out of the jumper to meet their hosts.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-------1-------

Liuetenant-Colonel Stephen Caldwell liked to visit Atlantis, but he never claimed that he wanted to take up a place of residence there. He never considered Atlantis to be anything but a stopover. His arrival now was due to a very temporary assignment. He was going to hold the fort until Dr. Weir and her team returned from Dead World.

Dead World, he thought grimly as he stepped into Elizabeth's office. Now that really sounded like a place to call home. His thoughts, however, were heavy with sarcasm. From what he had read of the reports on Dead World, it was no trip to Disney World. Not for the first time, he hoped Elizabeth knew what she was doing. He had doubts she was even ready to get back into the saddle as it was, but it wasn't up to him to keep her from running Atlantis. He had his own orders and concerns. He was there to make certain that operations in the city ran smoothly. He wasn't there to change policy. He was there to keep the peace and he wasn't opposed to enforce it if the need to do so arose.

However, he did have an agenda of his own to pursue and it was being carried out by his own crew aboard the Daedalus as he took over Elizabeth’s office. In fact, because of that agenda, he wasn’t in the least bit surprised when Dr. Beckett stormed into the office after him. He hadn’t even tried out the chair behind the desk yet.

“What the bloody hell is this?!” Beckett demanded angrily.

Caldwell knew precisely what the bloody hell it was, but he decided to play hardball. “What the bloody hell is what, Doctor?” He took his time as he sat down behind the desk. He opened his laptop. As he did, an enlisted man entered the office. He placed a cup of coffee on the desk and left.

Caldwell picked up the cup, looked at Beckett and took a sip.

Beckett looked like a man who had been put in second place. “I’m sorry, but am I boring you, Colonel? Because I have a very serious situation here that I believe you’re taking far too lightly.”

“Really? And what situation is that?”

“You know damned well what situation I’m referring to. You’re attempting to move Mr. Woolsey to your infirmary aboard the Daedalus and I’m here to tell you that it isn’t going to happen!”

Caldwell set his cup down onto the desk. “It is going to happen, Dr. Beckett, because when we leave here to head back for Earth, were taking him with us. That’s not my decision. It comes from the SGC.”

“The infirmary here on Atlantis is more qualified to help him then your tiny little sick bay.”

“We can make him comfortable and watch over him until we get back to Earth. Once home, you and I both know he’ll receive better care than he would if he had stayed here.” He leaned back. “I’m sure as a doctor, you know it’s too risky to take him back through the stargate in his current condition.”

Beckett nodded. “Of course.”

“That’s why he’s going home on the Daedalus.”

“Colonel Caldwell--”

He shook his head. “This isn’t a debate, Dr. Beckett. When I’m done here, I’m leaving and Richard Woolsey is coming back with me. Are we clear?”

“Oh, I hear what you’re saying but I strongly disagree.”

“Disagree all you like. We’re getting our infirmary ready for him so he’ll remain in your infirmary for the time being. But in a day or so, the Daedalus ships out and your patient is going to be on board when it does. Is that clear?”

Beckett reluctantly nodded his head, clearly not happy about the situation.

“Then, keep me posted on his condition. I’ll let you know when we need to move him.” He picked up his cup of coffee and turned his attention to the reports on his laptop’s monitor screen.

Beckett abruptly turned and made his way out of the office.

_______ _______ _______

It was quite a gathering, Sheppard thought, as he, his team from Jumper 1 and Major Lorne and his team from Jumper 2 exited their jumpers to be met by their hosts. He recognized Shiana of the tribes of Santhal and Kelore of Latira, who represented the Coalition. They had been a part of three judges who were ready to pass sentence upon Sheppard and his team for being responsible for waking up the Wraith. But Kelore had voted in favor of Atlantis while Shiana had voted against. Sheppard hoped there would be no trouble from her during the meetings, but it had been clear to him where she stood as far as Atlantis was concerned. Unfortunately, she was unreadable now. Her expression revealed nothing.

The Genii were also present. Ladon Radim stood beside his sister, Dahlia, and two other members of the Genii. Their expressions were also unreadable. Ladon, however, did raise his eyebrows when he saw Elizabeth Weir.

And then there was Larrin standing with two men…Travelers. Sheppard was surprised to see her but found it to be a hopeful sign of better things to come. The Travelers, the Genii, and the Coalition. If they could become allies with the Lanteans, the Pegasus Galaxy would become a much better place.

Sheppard and Elizabeth made eye contact. Elizabeth was just as hopeful. She smiled and went to work. “Mount Fortress,” she began as she looked at the group before her, “is quite impressive. I do not believe the Wraith could ever find anyone here if they so much as passed over this ravaged world.”

“That is precisely the point,” one of the men replied, stepping forward as he moved away from Larrin. “This outpost is unknown to the galaxy and shall always remain as such.” Then, he smiled. “But that is true of Atlantis as well, is it not?”

“We…have been away for a while. But we are back.” She made eye contact with the people around her. “And we are here to make friends so that together, we can become an unstoppable force against the real enemy.”

“The Wraith,” Ladon replied, glancing at his sister. “Before we go any further, perhaps proper introductions should be taken.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Of course.”

The two men with Larrin turned out to be a surprise. They were born and raised in the fortress itself. They had lived in the mountain on Dead World all of their lives. One was Tobin and the other was Malak. Tobin was the one who had spoken to Elizabeth.

Larrin made eye contact with Sheppard and smiled at him. He nodded at her, glanced at Elizabeth and then looked away. Larrin frowned, wondering what that was all about.

Elizabeth had many questions about the fortress, but Tobin decided they could wait. “We would like to give you all a tour of our home and show you where you will be staying. Then, once every one is settled, we shall dine together in the Hall of Fellowship and get to know one another better.”

When every one agreed, the tour began. Sheppard shook his head in wonder.

“The mood is…surprisingly hopeful here in this place,” Teyla replied as she walked beside him.

Sheppard nodded. “It is. I hope that’s a good thing.”

She smiled. “Of course, it’s a good thing. This could be a sign of many things to come. Of people in this galaxy coming together as one to deal with a great threat together. It is a truly hopeful thing.”

“I think it’s bogus,” said a gruff voice behind them.

McKay rolled his eyes. “Hey, I thought I was the one with the glass half empty.”

“He’s right, Ronon,” Sheppard agreed. “You don’t buy any of this.”

Ronon snorted. “And you do?”

“It’s too early to tell.”

“No, it’s not. I could have told you ahead of time that this was doomed to fail.” He began to move ahead of them. “I just didn’t think anyone would listen.”

_______ _______ _______

“Why won’t anyone listen to me?!” she hissed with rage through clenched teeth.

Harmon looked up from his task of setting the table for those who would be a part of the talks. “Because all you talk about is maiming, torturing and killing Lanteans. Sora, you should be thankful Ladon is allowing you to visit Mount Fortress during the talks, but need I remind you that you are not to let the Lanteans know of your presence? Isn’t that what you agreed upon with your superior when you asked to be here? And when will you see that the only one who harbors any ill will for those from Atlantis…is you? The days of animosity between the Genii and the Lanteans are now only in the past.”

Sora took a deep breath as she slowly turned to face Harmon. She looked at him, but in her mind, she was looking at someone else. “They can’t be trusted. She can’t be trusted!”

“Ah, yes…You mean Teyla.”

“I will not be satisfied until I have her beating heart in my hands so that I can crush it in her face before her life fades from her eyes.”

“You have anger issues.”

Then she focused on him and her eyes glared into his.

Harmon paused. “You had best not be thinking of doing something we all could regret. These talks are very important.”

“We don’t need a treaty with them!”

“We all do. Even Ladon agrees, which is why he set this up here on Dead World with those of us who have Survived The End. And creating an alliance with Atlantis is not our only goal. We’re trying to join with all of the powers left in the galaxy who have not been completely destroyed by the Wraith, though there be so few.” He stopped as he watched Sora. He let out a sigh and shook his head. “You’re not even listening to me, are you? All you can see is your blind rage and that is something you cannot see through. I suggest that you talk to someone about it. If you do not get help, you will soon reach a point of no return and when that happens, you will become lost.”

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I do need to talk to someone.” Abruptly, she turned aside and headed out of the Hall of Fellowship. Her strides were determined.

Harmon let out a sigh. He decided that he should see Ladon before something happened to ruin everything they were working for.

_______ _______ _______

Mount Fortress was immense. Sheppard couldn’t help but be impressed as he followed along with the entourage he and the others had joined. No one was throwing insults. Nobody had taken out a weapon and fired away in a rage. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, with the exception of one man.

Ronon Dex.

He walked along with everyone, but he kept his mouth shut and looked sullen. His arms were folded across his chest and he glared at anyone who looked his way. Including Elizabeth. For her part, she continued to ask the right questions and prompted positive responses.

“In the report we received from the Genii,” she said, glancing with a wry smile at Ladon, “we were lead to believe that Dead World was devoid of all life. That there had been no survivors. It was also reported that the cause of such world wide destruction is unknown. Yet, here you are, Tobin. You and Malak claim to be survivors.”

Tobin smiled at her. “I would call us a mere remnant. Sadly, however, it is true that we do not know what happened to destroy our world. It was so long ago, we do not even know the name of our planet other than the name it goes by now.”

“Dead World,” McKay said with a sigh. “You must admit, it certainly doesn’t make people want to come see it.”

“Very astute!” Tobin exclaimed, still smiling. “But as I was saying…my people and I have lived here all of our lives. In fact, many generations have lived here since the day after the destruction of our world. Here, inside this huge facility. And this facility has expanded since then, with the help of my friends, the Genii…and the Coalition. Many others have helped and now…it is our hope that the people of Atlantis will also join us together. As friends.”

Before Elizabeth or anyone else could respond, Mckay had to add his two cents. “Wouldn’t it be better if you had placed the stargate somewhere inside the facility so that people like us wouldn’t have to risk flying through that toxic waste out there? I think you would vastly improve your conditions if you had a place inside for your gate. It’s a risk to be out there for even a second! And then, to have to endure that so-called decontamination!”

“Such things are necessary, Dr. McKay,” Malak assured him, narrowing his eyes at the arrogant scientist.

“It’s only necessary because you make things harder than they should be.”

Jennifer gave him a look. “Rodney…”

He looked at her. “What? Oh, come on! It’s true.”

“The jumpers survived,” Sheppard assured McKay, “and so did we.”

“Please, believe me,” Tobin said as they approached a set of double doors. “We feel that it is necessary to leave the stargate alone. Imagine if the Wraith were to arrive through it and they find themselves in the atmosphere of our world. They would see this planet as lifeless as it appears and as a result, keep away. With the stargate inside, we would have to form some type of shield to prevent their arrival.”

McKay nodded eagerly. “Yes, but that’s the point, isn’t it? The shield would keep them from coming! And we could help with that.”

Malak frowned. “It would also point out to the Wraith that someone was here and they would pursue other means to find out who.”

“Oh.” He frowned in thought. “Yes. I see your point.”

Tobin smiled at the group before him. “This is a good day, my friends. I want to welcome you to the Hall of Fellowship where we shall feast together and get to know one another. I believe this is a day which none of us shall ever forget. We are forging a bond that will be unbreakable. And our bond will be forged in fire because we are here on common ground.” He shook his head. “It is no longer the time to fear one another as has been done in the past. All disagreements must be laid aside…forever, never more to be brought to light. Because together, we can stand against all adversity…but I assure you, separated, we shall fall. Let us embrace change and move forward as one.” He pushed open the doors and led them inside.

Ronon couldn’t believe his eyes. The room was large and held several tables loaded with food. People were already at the tables and it was one table in particular that caught his eye. A group of his own people were sitting together, laughing, eating and drinking.

“Ronon,” Sheppard began, leaning toward him, “are they who I think they are?”

Ronon couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on his face. “Yep. They’re like me. They’re Satedan.”

_______ _______ _______

In her private quarters, Sora closed the door and pulled out a small device from her hidden stash under the floor. She placed it on the stand beside her bed and placed a polished blue stone on top of the device. There was a slight hum and then an image appeared standing beside the stand.

The person was nothing more than a shadow with a distorted voice. “Why have I been summoned?”

Sora stood her ground and watched the shadow closely. “They’re here,” she said.

“I see. You feel it is important to interrupt the Plan so that you can pursue vengeance? This is not acceptable.”

“Have I not been helpful to your Plan, Zeus?”

There was a pause. “You have.”

“Then, why can you not grant me this one thing?”

“It is not yet time for you to act, Sora.”

“You promised to help me! That’s the only reason I’ve been helping you. All I ask is for you to carry through with your promise.”

The shadow straightened. “Are you saying you doubt my word? I intend to repay you…when it is time. If you do anything rash to upset the Plan…I will not take it kindly.”

Sora glared. “Are you threatening me?”

“I will do to you worst than you plan for the Lanteans.”

Sora paused to take that into consideration. She didn’t like it. She had never been threatened so directly before by the one who called himself Zeus. She didn’t know who he was, only what he told her…but along with her obsession with destroying those from Atlantis, she also had people investigating into this mysterious Zeus.

Unfortunately, it never came to anything useful. So she continued to serve this stranger in the hopes that one day, she would have an opportunity to exact full vengeance.

“Alright,” she finally said. “I shall hold my peace…For now.”

The image blinked out of existence without another word and the communications ended. Dejected and angry, Sora put the device back into hiding and then she sat on the edge of her bed to reconsider her options. A plan was formulating.

_______ _______ _______

Colonel Caldwell headed down the stairs away from the Control Room when Chuck called out to him. All he wanted to do was to go to the Mess and grab a bite to eat. And some coffee. This had better be good, he thought as he turned around and retraced his steps.

“What is it?” he asked curtly, coming to stand in front of Chuck’s workstation.

Chuck was fully aware that the Colonel wasn’t pleased about this interruption. “Ah,” he began nervously, “I have a transmission coming in from Troye.”

Caldwell sighed. “From who?”

“Tristian Salvadore. He’s a part of the Council. He…wants to speak with someone in charge and that would be you.”

“Okay…fine. Put him on the screen.”

On the main monitor, Salvadore’s severe looking face appeared. When he saw Caldwell, a measure of respect appeared in his eyes. He was a man who didn’t like to deal with diplomats like Elizabeth Weir or even Richard Woolsey. He was suddenly confident that he would be able to get somewhere now that he was about to deal with a military man.

“This is Colonel Caldwell,” Caldwell greeted, trying not to show his impatience. “What can I do for you, Councilman Salvadore?”

“Colonel Caldwell, I would like to come to Atlantis and meet you.” He paused as he appeared to lean closer on the monitor. “I have a matter of great urgency to bring to your attention.”

Caldwell didn’t like the sound of that, particularly when it looked like he wasn’t about to get his lunch.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-------2-------

Ladon watched Ronon have a reunion with his fellow Satedan’s as every one around him found places to sit at the tables or stood around and made small talk. Dahlia looked at Ladon, and then she turned her head to see what it was he was looking at. She suddenly became concerned.

“Are you expecting a problem?” she asked as she turned back to face her brother.

He gave her a small smile of reassurance. “Expecting a problem? Yes. But I am hoping for none.”

“Yet a gathering such as this one,” said a familiar voice behind them, “is sure to provoke more than a few problems. Don’t you think so?”

The Radam siblings turned almost as one and found that Teyla had come to join them. She watched them expectantly, but her face revealed nothing.

Finally, Ladon let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. “I suppose it could be true, but any problem that does come along, it needs to be dealt with immediately.”

Teyla searched his face, looking for any type of tell. “Why?”

He didn’t look away. “Because this needs to work.”

“Then, why are you creating a problem?”

He glanced at Dahlia, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“You are watching Ronon.” She leaned toward him. “You should be aware…Ronon doesn’t like to be watched. If he discovers you have been watching him, he will become a problem for you.”

He turned his back on the Satedan’s and faced Teyla directly. “I know there is bad blood between us. I want you to know…we are doing all we can to make this work.”

“If that is true, then you have no reason to fear us. We want this to work now more than ever, just as you do. However, for this to work, we must be completely open and honest with each other.”

Ladon and Dahlia exchanged another concerned look with each other.

Teyla couldn’t help but notice it. “What is it?”

There was a brief pause, but it was soon broken by Dahlia. “We agree we should be open and honest. That’s why we’ve also agreed to let you know that Sora is here.” She paused. “She still wants to kill you.”

“What? If she is here, then she will do all she can to stop this.”

Ladon shook his head. “She won’t do anything. You have my word. I assure you, she knows how important this is and will do nothing to stop it. Besides, I have her watched at all times. If she tries anything, we’ll stop her.”

“I do not understand. Why was she allowed to come here in the first place?”

“She wanted to come. When I forbade it, she gave me her word she would do nothing to seek out vengeance upon you or your friends. That all she wanted was to be a part of the peace talks between our people. I gave her orders not to reveal herself if she couldn‘t keep her…obsession under control and she told me that she would.”

Teyla frowned. “And you believed her?”

He nodded. “Yes. I did. Look, I did the right thing in having her come to Dead World with us. This way, we can keep an eye on her. If she wasn’t here, we would have no idea what she would be up to. You should be thankful for that. A lot has changed in your absence, Teyla. We have come to realize that it would be better to make friends rather than enemies. The Wraith have grown in number. If we keep fighting each other, they could easily overrun us and we would be powerless to stop them. We need each other, so I am telling you…Sora will not be a problem for you.”

She regarded him for a moment. She looked at Dahlia. Then, she nodded once. “I accept your word.”

“Good.” He sighed as he turned to look at the Satedan’s once more. “I’m afraid that Ronon, however, won’t.”

Teyla tilted her head. “It is hard to gain Ronon’s trust, but once you do, you will gain a friend.”

“And what about you? How do you feel?”

She smiled. “It is still too early to tell…but I believe there is always hope.”

_______ _______ _______

Caldwell wasn’t a diplomat, but he was hungry so he decided to make his unexpected meeting with Councilman Salvadore a luncheon. He had a table set up on the terrace with an assortment of foods and drinks enough for several people. That had turned out to be a good thing because Salvadore brought along a friend.

“Colonel Caldwell,” Tristian Salvadore said as he stopped beside the table with a woman at his side, “I have come to meet with you on an urgent matter. What is this?” He waved his hand toward the table.

“This is lunch,” Caldwell told him, standing before his guests. “I was hoping you and your friend would join me.”

Salvadore paused briefly. “Let me guess. You were on your way to get a bite to eat before I called.”

“Something like that.”

Salvadore suddenly smiled. “A man of decisive action. I can appreciate that. I’m pleased to be able to meet with you rather than Dr. Weir.” He held up a hand. “Nothing personal against her, mind you. It is just simply reassuring to know that I can have a meeting with someone who has a take charge personality. And you are also a representative of your Earth’s military branch, are you not?”

Caldwell regarded him. “I am.”

“I am now confident I have come to the right man.” He moved his hand toward the woman at his right. “Allow me to introduce you to one of Athen’s finest scientists. Dr. Erin Greye.”

Caldwell held his hand out toward the tall, blonde. “I’m happy to meet you.” The truth was, he wasn’t happy. He was suspicious.

Erin bowed her head in greeting as she took his hand. She didn’t say anything in return.

Salvadore smiled. “Perhaps your doctor could join us,” he said as they took their seats. “I’m sure he will find our conversation enlightening.” 

“You would like Dr. Beckett to join us?” Warning bells were starting to ring somewhere in Caldwell’s consciousness. This was not leading to something good.

“Yes, I would. I assure you, his input on our…discussion will prove to be invaluable.”

Caldwell tapped his ear piece. “Caldwell to Beckett.”

Beckett’s reply was immediate and sarcastic. “I’m rather busy, Colonel. Can it wait? You‘re not planning on taking Mr. Woolsey now, are you?”

“No, I’m not. Has his condition changed?”

“Afraid not. I’m just checking in on him.”

“You do that. Then, I’d like you to come on out on the terrace for lunch. I have some guests who are…eager to meet you.”

There was a pause. “Guests?”

“From Troye.”

There was another pause. “Alright then. I’ll be right there.”

Caldwell smiled patiently at his guests. “Now…while we’re waiting, do you want to tell me what this is all about?”

Salvadore glanced at Erin. “Right to the point. I like that Colonel Caldwell. With Dr. Weir, I’m afraid we’d have nothing to look forward to but to run in political circles.”

“I’m getting a strong impression that you don’t like Dr. Weir.”

Erin spoke for the first time. “Oh, no, that’s not it at all. We truly admire and respect Dr. Weir greatly. She is, after all, one of the ascended ones. One of the Ancients.”

Salvadore patted her arm. “That is true, Colonel. You won’t find a single person on the planet who doesn’t feel strongly about Elizabeth Weir. There’s no denying that she was ascended and - for reasons as yet unknown - brought back to us. We adore her. However, we do not believe her purpose from the Ancients is to resume her role as leader of Atlantis.”

Caldwell frowned. “You don’t?”

“Of course not. We believe her role here is something more profound.”

“And what would that be?”

He smiled again. “That, unfortunately, we don’t know. Yet. But I’m sure that in time…it will come to her. She will come to know why she was brought back to us and then she will do what the Ancients sent her here to do. For us, however, we won’t know her true purpose until the time is right.”

“Well, it seems to me that you’ve got everything all figured out.” Caldwell held up a coffee carafe and gestured toward Salvadore, who nodded. As he poured coffee into a cup for his guests, he said, “You may be right about that, Mr. Salvadore. We, too, believe it may be possible that Dr. Weir was ascended and returned to us. I assure you, however, that her leadership role on Atlantis is suited for her.” After he poured a cup for Erin, he set the carafe down onto the table. “She can handle it.”

“That may be,” Salvadore said as if he didn’t believe it. “Only time will tell.”

“Is this the urgent matter you wanted to discuss with me?”

Salvadore shook his head. “No. I think we’ll wait for the good doctor to arrive before we bring up our urgent matter.”

Caldwell let out a sigh. He wished Beckett would hurry up so that he could get to the problem at hand. Something was bothering the Councilman and his scientist and he wanted to know what it was because now it bothered him.

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard wasn’t surprised at McKay’s reaction to the food that was prepared for the luncheon. The scientist genius wanted to know if there were any lemon or anything with citrus in it simply because he didn’t want to endanger the talks by dying of food poisoning. Thankfully, no one was offended by his inquiries.

That was a miracle in and of itself.

Each table was full of people eating, drinking and having fellowship. That was the purpose of the name of the hall…the Hall of Fellowship. The people of Dead World firmly believed that all troubles should be left at the door when one entered into the Hall of Fellowship. They felt that having food and drink with others was the key to strengthening friendships.

Sheppard shared a table with Elizabeth, McKay, Jennifer, Kelore, Dahlia, Tobin and Larrin. Harmon was the man who served their table. He saw to it that the food and drinks did not run out. At another table, Major Lorne was joined by Mace, Staci, Teyla, Ladon, Shiana, Shiva and Malak. Ronon sat at the loudest table, that of the Satedan’s. Their laughter filled the Hall of Fellowship. Tobin was pleased with it.

He pointed at the table and grinned with pleasure. “Now look at the Satedan’s and take their example!” he exclaimed. “They truly understand the meaning of fellowship.”

“Really?” McKay asked around a mouthful of food. “Because to me all they seem to understand is being loud and rude.”

“Rude…” Sheppard agreed with a nod. “Like…talking with your mouth full?”

McKay glared at him. “I wasn’t talking with my mouth full. I was making a point.”

“And what is the point you’re trying to make, Rodney?” Jennifer wanted to know.

“Nothing…except that they’re loud and obnoxious. I can’t hear myself think!”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile. “I think you’ll be relieved to know that we can’t hear you think either, Rodney.”

“But we can sure hear you complain,” Sheppard added with a wink at Larrin.

Tobin sat back, watching the others. “Are you always this way with each other? Your words seem to be sharp yet clearly, you regard each other as friends. This is a mark of fellowship and fellowship should be embraced.”

McKay swallowed. “Wait a minute. There isn’t really going to be any embracing here, is there?”

“What’s the matter, McKay?” Sheppard asked. “Are you afraid your personal space is going to be invaded?”

Jennifer leaned closer to McKay and whispered, “You can let me invade your space, can’t you? I really want to.”

“Wait…what?” McKay looked at her, wondering if he was missing something. “I thought we agreed to behave when we were with other people,” he said, lowering his voice.

Sheppard’s eyes widened. He and Elizabeth exchanged startled looks. Larrin watched them. Dahlia, Kelore and Tobin laughed.

“I agree that we all should behave ourselves,” Elizabeth said as she picked up her glass of water. “Fellowship is a good thing, but let’s not forget the real purpose of our visit.”

“An alliance,” Dahlia said softly.

Elizabeth nodded once. “An alliance.”

“Tell me, Dr. Weir…do you believe it is possible that we can overcome our differences and embrace friendship?”

She nodded again. “Yes, I do.”

“Just like that?”

Sheppard cleared his throat. “Well…maybe not just like that. It’s going to take a whole lot of work. I mean, let’s face it. We have a lot of history together and it isn’t a history of trust.”

“You’re saying we need to get away from history,” Larrin replied, looking into his eyes, “and look to the future.”

“If we can’t trust each other, this whole thing is nothing but a waste of time.”

“Then, it is imperative we work on building that trust,” Tobin said firmly. “Don’t you think that is so?”

Sheppard let out a sigh as he saw Shiana from one of the other tables. She didn’t look happy. In fact, she was glaring at him. They made eye contact and finally, she made herself look away. “It is so,” he said, responding to Tobin’s question. “I just don’t know how possible it’s going to be.”

_______ _______ _______

The lunch would have been great if it weren’t for the company Caldwell was currently keeping on the terrace. In fact, soon after Beckett had arrived, the true intention of Salvadore’s visit became obvious and that was when Caldwell lost his appetite. He almost lost his temper as well, but years of dealing with people like the Councilman from Troye had trained him how to keep it together.

Still, he couldn’t help but entertain the thought of throwing the arrogant son of a bitch over the railings. Not that he would ever do such a thing, but perhaps it was the thought that counted.

After Beckett arrived, the four of them sampled the variety of food on the table. They filled their plates and cups and Beckett hoped this wasn’t a waste of his time. However, the food was good and with a glance at Erin, the doctor decided that the view was as well. Something, however, about her demeanor was troubling him. She seemed to tolerate his presence and that of Colonel Caldwell’s as well.

As they began to eat, Salvadore opened the whole can of worms by asking a question he had wanted to ask since the incident in the lab under Troye.

“What does ATA stand for?”

Beckett literally froze with a fork full of food in front of his face. He looked at Caldwell with concern, but the Colonel remained silent.

After a moment, Salvadore took a drink. He smiled. “I’m sorry, gentlemen. Did I say something taboo? You both seem to have lost your tongues.”

Caldwell shrugged as if he didn’t care one way or the other. “I’m not really into acronyms, Councilman. What do you think this ATA stands for?”

Salvadore grinned at him. He turned to Beckett. “What about you? Would you care to explain to me its means?”

“I’m more interested in learning of how you heard of such a thing,” Beckett replied.

“Then, you do know what this ATA is, don’t you?”

“Do you?”

Caldwell had to give it to Beckett. The man could bluff if he wanted to without revealing his cards. Unfortunately, someone somewhere along the way had revealed the cards to Salvadore already. “What do you think it is?” he asked Salvadore again.

“It’s the Ancient Technology Activation gene,” Erin answered, a little venom in her voice. She glared at Caldwell. “A gene manufactured in a lab to give people the ability to use that which doesn’t belong to them.” She was referring to Atlantis.

Salvadore placed a hand on her arm for support. “There there, Erin. There’s no need to point any fingers at anyone. No one has done anything wrong…that we know of.” He looked at Beckett and then returned his focus on Caldwell. “We know about this gene therapy, Colonel. We know that some of your people have it…and some of them were given the ATA gene because they didn’t have it. And we also know that some of you…” He shook his head. “…don’t even have it at all. What I want to know from you - because I believe you to be a man of honor - is the truth. Had this ATA gene been produced to aid your people in running Atlantis?”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Beckett exclaimed. “You can’t be bloody serious! Are you telling me you’re upset because of the gene?”

Salvadore glared at him. “How could I not be upset? It is a sacrilegious act to play at being God by giving man something he wasn’t meant to have! Most of you did not come by the Ancient gene naturally. Perhaps a handful of you did. But you have no right to create the ATA gene to benefit yourselves with Atlantis. Atlantis was meant for the real descendants of the Ancestors which many of you are clearly not.”

“It benefits us because it helps us to fight the Wraith and help others who can’t help themselves.”

“If you didn’t use this gene at all…If you’ve never come up with it, do you think it likely you would have been able to find Atlantis?” Before he could get an answer, he said, “Dr. Beckett, Colonel Caldwell, it is my belief that you were not meant to be in Atlantis. Everyone on Athens has the gene and we have it without interference. Without creating an ATA gene. We have it naturally and because we do, we can use any technology from our Ancestors. Including everything in Atlantis.”

Caldwell leaned forward. “Am I detecting a threat here, Councilman?”

Salvadore used a handkerchief to wipe at his mouth and then he tossed it onto his plate in disgust. “I am offended, Colonel. Yes. You detect a threat. Because I will bring this to light in the next Council meeting and if the Council doesn’t want to act, perhaps others will.”

“If you intend to cause harm to anyone on Atlantis, I will not allow it.”

Salvadore rose to his feet. “This isn’t over.”

“I can see that.”

The Councilman and Erin left the table and as they did, Caldwell used his earpiece to have a couple of marines escort the guests to their jumper. Then he shared a concerned look with Beckett who shook his head in disgust.

_______ _______ _______

The tables had been rearranged like a square so that every one seated at them could look out at the others. Tobin was smiling as he put his hands together on the table before him. “I am excited at this opportunity presented for us here today,” he said as he made eye contact with those around him. “This is an historic moment and we should be proud because if we succeed, we shall leave these very important talks united as one. And we shall become the most powerful force in the galaxy the likes of which the Wraith have never seen.”

Elizabeth liked the man’s style. He certainly knew how to get the attention of every one around him. But she still had reservations. Judging from the look on Sheppard’s face, he had reservations, too. She made eye contact with him and gave him one of her famous half smiles reserved just for him. He gave one back. Behind him, however, there was a curious distraction.

One of the Survivors - Elizabeth recalled that his name was Harmon - seemed to be in a heated discussion with a woman. They kept their voices low so as not to disturb the meeting, but their body language was tense and Elizabeth could see the anger in the woman’s eyes. The woman turned her head and looked at her. Then, she ended the discussion and walked away from Harmon. Harmon regained his composure and carried a tray of carafe’s toward the table’s. Wondering what that was all about, Elizabeth turned her attention back to Tobin.

“Before we begin, I wish to tell you a bit more about my people.” Tobin paused as he took a drink of water. “Truthfully, there isn’t much to tell. We have been living here in this mountain all of our lives and never once have we been visited by the Wraith. Our world is dead. It serves them no purpose to come here. Whatever destroyed our world has caused us to be alone.” He paused. “Then, one day, we were discovered by the Genii. They came to our world in a ship with the Travelers and they somehow detected a source of power within our mountain fortress. They came to us, we allowed them in and…we have become friends since then. They helped us shield our power source more efficiently so that now we are no longer detected from space.”

“You’ve really never encountered the Wraith?” Ronon couldn’t help but ask.

Tobin shook his head. “No. We haven’t.”

“Ronon,” Sheppard said. Then, he cleared his throat and looked at him.

Tobin chuckled. “It’s alright. Let us make a rule here now that interruptions are not really interruptions. If anyone has questions, they should feel free to ask. So, Ronon, we have never encountered the Wraith, but the Genii warned us of them and showed us evidence of their deeds. They introduced us to people who have endured cullings. They took us through the gate to other worlds where whole civilizations have been destroyed by the Wraith. We saw this…and we were horrified.”

“I have a question,” McKay said leaning forward.

“Of course.”

“You say you’ve never encountered the Wraith…but could it be possible that they are the ones who destroyed your world?”

“It isn’t possible.”

Elizabeth was curious. “Why isn’t it?”

Tobin turned to face her. “Because of the Genii, we were able to do analysis comparison’s of the atmosphere in our world to other world’s devastated by the Wraith. The results were inconclusive and therefore not a match. The conclusion is that the Wraith was not responsible for what happened here so long ago.”

“Tobin, if you like…we could also run analysis comparison’s to see if there are any similarities to other worlds that have faced destruction.”

Tobin glanced at Malak. “You would do this?”

Elizabeth nodded. “If you like.”

Malak let out a sigh. “What would be the point, Tobin? Even if by some chance it is discovered what happened, what could we possibly do about it?”

“We would know. We would finally know what happened to our world. And perhaps then we could help other world’s prevent it from happening to them.” He held up a hand. “But…we are getting off topic. As I was saying, we became friends with the Genii and with the Travelers. Also with the Coalition. During the time we shared of getting to know one another, they told me about the people from Atlantis and I just knew that we all had to meet together.”

Sheppard glanced at Shiana and then at Ladon. “Oh, I’m sure they did.”

“Colonel Sheppard, they spared no detail about you and your team…and also about you as well, Dr. Weir. Needless to say, they came to one conclusion. They admitted that they need you.”

“They need us?”

Ladon nodded once. “That’s right, Colonel. Need. We need you and you need us.”

“We’ve all seen what could happen when the Genii have a need.”

“And you have trust issues,” Dahlia countered, sitting beside her brother.

“Your people have tried to kill me and my people many times.”

“How many Genii have you killed, Colonel?” Dahlia shot back. “During the siege of your great city, in one move, you killed more than thirty Genii.”

“They were trying to invade Atlantis...and, yes, it was a lot more than thirty. You're right about that.”

“Sheppard,” Ladon began, taking a deep breath, “Dahlia…we are not here to revisit our past.”

“Do you really think we could form an alliance with you?” Ronon demanded.

“We have to! Don’t you see? You’ve been gone a long time and a lot has happened in your absence. The Wraith have increased their cullings, even to the point of annihilating whole planets just because they can. They’ve found several of our own hideouts and attacked without mercy. We’ve tried to fight back, but we’re losing out there.” He looked into Sheppard’s eyes. “When you came back, we realized that we had to set aside our differences and reach out to you in friendship. I know you feel it, too. You’ve seen something yourself and it has to make you see the need for an alliance.”

Elizabeth looked at Sheppard. She waited.

He turned to face her, thinking about Legion. “He’s right,” he said quietly.

Ronon blinked. “He is?”

“Ronon,” Teyla said, “it is past time for this to happen. It should have happened long ago…before anyone had to die.” She thought of Sora and Sora’s father. Regret was a hard thing to live with.

Sheppard looked at Shiana who sat at the table across from him. “Is that what you want, too?”

Shiana didn’t respond. She just glared at him. Beside her, Kelore answered for her. “The Coalition believes that the only way to survive,” he began, “is to join forces. Richard Woolsey took steps to begin our alliance.” He turned to Elizabeth. “Now you must continue in his place.”

“And I will,” Elizabeth assured him.

Tobin watched her carefully. “How do you feel about going forward?”

She smiled. “I feel that we have already taken a step in the right direction. From here, going forward should be our only goal.”

“Then, perhaps we have made some progress.”

“Perhaps we have,” she agreed.

_______ _______ _______

After the meeting, Sheppard found himself walking Larrin to her quarters. He didn’t know how it happened to be that way and he certainly had no intentions at all. They had been making small talk and simply started to walk together. That walk led them right to her quarters.

As they stood at the door, Sheppard realized how close she was standing to him. He turned his head, and discovered her face was even closer. He cleared his throat and took a step back.

“Well,” he said, “here we are.”

Larrin smiled at him, taking a step closer to him. “Yes. Here we are.” She leaned toward him. “Would you like to come in…John? After all, we do have a little history together, wouldn’t you say?”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he agreed. “There’s history between us. As I recall, I spent most of that history in a cell. And, you did try to kill me.”

She placed a hand on her arm. “You know I was only playing.”

“Oh, is that what that was?”

“What’s the matter, Sheppard? Don’t you want to play with me?”

He swallowed. “You know…I think I’d better go. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow. Need to catch my beauty sleep.” He backed up.

Larrin looked at him. Suddenly, she smiled. “Oh, my God. I should have seen it. I had no idea.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You’re in love.”

“What? In love? Don’t be ridiculous. What makes you think I‘m in love with you?” He waved his hands at her. “If I gave you any type of signals, I wasn’t trying to.”

She laughed. “I know you’re not in love with me, Sheppard. You’re in love…with someone else.”

“Well, you’re wrong about that. I--”

A commotion down the hall interrupted them. Both Sheppard and Larrin turned to look and they saw Harmon and a woman having a heated exchange. Concerned, they headed down the hall.

“Hey,” Sheppard called out.

The woman glared at Harmon and stormed off. Harmon sighed and waited as Sheppard and Larrin joined him.

“Is everything alright?” Sheppard asked.

Harmon didn’t look at them. “It is none of your concern.”

“I saw you two arguing earlier. If there’s a problem, we need to know about it.”

He turned to regard them. Finally, he said, “She wanted to remind me that there are those of us who do not want to have anything to do with what goes on beyond our world. We have suffered enough. We should not have to suffer any more. That is what I have been reminded of constantly. I will speak no more of this.” Abruptly, he turned and walked away.

Sheppard and Larrin watched him go.

“Well, that can’t be good,” Sheppard finally said.

From the shadows behind them at the corner of the hall, Sora watched, glaring with hatred. She slowly backed away and left before her presence could be discovered.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-------3-------

Caldwell believed in action against any threat that would jeopardize Earth and Atlantis. What he had heard from Salvadore was clearly a threat. That threat level was high and would get an immediate response. He prepared a brief report and sent it to MidWay II via the stargate through a data burst. He knew the data burst would then get to the SGC and after that, he expected a return data burst with orders and recommendations.

The following morning, what he got in response was a surprise.

“Offworld gate activation!” Chuck exclaimed from the Control Room.

Caldwell got up from Elizabeth’s desk and walked out of the office. He took his coffee with him and moved to stand beside Chuck, watching the monitors because he expected to see the answer on the screen.

Chuck paused. “It’s from Midway II…and we have a traveler enroute.”

Caldwell looked puzzled. “What?” He moved toward the balcony and looked down at the stargate, holding his coffee.

Eight men came through the event horizon of the stargate, and one of them was a General. Caldwell was not a man who was surprised easily but this one time was the exception. “General…?”

General Hank Landry looked up as behind him, the stargate shut down. “Colonel Caldwell…we need to talk.”

_______ _______ _______

The tables had been set up for a breakfast buffet for the people known as those who had Survived The End and for their visiting friends. When Sheppard entered the Hall of Fellowship, he saw that there were plenty of people already present, loading their plates. Ronon’s plate was heavily loaded. He grinned at Sheppard as he took his food to the table where the Satedan’s sat.

He saw Elizabeth at a table with Mace, Staci and Malak. After he fixed a plate and poured a cup of coffee, he decided to go and join them. As he sat down, he said, “You know, I can’t believe how good the food is.” He looked at Malak. “How did you guys set this all up?”

Malak frowned as he leaned back in his chair. “We trade with others through the stargate for all necessities and we also have several food facility rooms. There is no lack of food because of this.”

Sheppard paused as he regarded the man. It began to occur to him that he had never seen Malak smile. Not even once. He began to wonder if the man smiled at all. He picked up a cup of hot liquid, which looked and smelled like coffee. He took a sip. “This is really good coffee,” he complimented. “I have to admit, since coming to the Pegasus Galaxy, I got into a habit of drinking a lot of tea…but this is really good coffee.”

“It is taff,” Malak said. “We harvest the taff beans in one of the food facility rooms.” He paused. “Perhaps as a gesture, we can give you some to take back to Atlantis.”

“That would be swell.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you, Malak.” She paused. “John, before you got here, we were having a very interesting conversation.”

He looked up from his plate. “Really? Anything I should know about?”

“It’s about Michael,” Staci said, a look of hope in her eyes.

For a second there, Sheppard was thinking of another Michael whom he was very sure was quite dead this time. When he saw Elizabeth’s expression, he was reassured.

“Michael Lenox,” Staci replied, when she had seen the look on his face. “We told you of him when we first met in your city…of how he crashed on our world.”

Sheppard nodded. “Right. I remember. You haven’t heard from him in months. I take it you have good news then?”

Mace shrugged. “Perhaps. Thanks to Malak, we do understand he was here only a few weeks ago.”

“Really?” Sheppard thought back about when he and his team had encountered Legion. “That’s not too long ago. So this Lenox…how long has he been aware of Dead World?”

“He has been a friend to us for several years,” Malak said with a brief nod. He paused. “He was…looking into something for us. Actually, for Tobin, for I do not approve of it.”

Sheppard regarded him, his interest peaked. “What’s he looking into, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Malak let out a sigh. “He has told us that…he had discovered Ground Zero.”

Sheppard froze. It shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. No matter what planet you were on, some things remained the same. Ground Zero was a term he knew very well. It was the location of impact to a devastating catastrophe…like the destruction of a planet’s surface.

Sheppard looked at Elizabeth.

She nodded once. “Lenox discovered something that might point out the cause of this world’s death.”

Sheppard glanced at Staci who was trying to remain hopeful. She obviously loved the man so he hoped he would come back for her sake. He turned to Malak. “In the two weeks since he’s been gone,” he replied, “has there been any other contact from him?”

Malak shook his head.

“What about this Ground Zero…? Did he share where it was before he…left?”

The man shook his head again.

Elizabeth paused. “I’m sure with the right equipment and the right ship…” She was thinking of the Daedalus or the George Hammond. “…we could pick up where Lenox left off.”

Malak sighed. “I would advise against it.”

“Why? Don’t you want to know what happened to your world?”

“No!” he exclaimed. “I do not want to know! What good would knowing do? Would it bring our world back? What possible good could knowing the cause bring us?”

“Maybe closure,” Sheppard pointed out.

“Closure?” Malak scoffed. “Colonel, if the cause was…something natural like an asteroid hitting our world or…or some other disaster that occurred because it was unavoidable…this knowledge would be useless to us other than it would be an explanation. Trivial is all it would be. But if there was irrefutable proof that something else was the cause…something deliberate…the knowledge would only bring us more pain and suffering. If this was deliberate, and if we found out why, we could do nothing about it.” He looked into his eyes. “We are better off not knowing.”

Sheppard thought he had a point and was about to say so when Ronon and Teyla hurried to their table.

Elizabeth noticed that they seemed to be tense. “What is it?” she asked with concern.

“It’s Harmon,” Teyla said.

Ronon glared. “He’s dead.”

_______ _______ _______

Harmon was stuffed inside a storage closet in a hallway on one of the lower levels of the fortress. Sheppard and Elizabeth were both surprised to see that McKay and Jennifer were already present. As was Shiana, Tobin and Dahlia. Malak, Mace and Staci were behind Sheppard, Elizabeth, Ronon and Teyla. Elizabeth realized that the corridor was becoming crowded quickly. Major Lorne arrived just as they did because Sheppard had radioed him for back up…just in case.

Elizabeth leaned toward Major Lorne. “Maybe you should do something about crowd control. Keep people back. Ronon, Teyla, help Major Lorne.”

Ronon nodded and he and Teyla joined Major Lorne.

As they left to carry out their orders, Elizabeth turned to Tobin. “What happened?”

Tobin looked as if his world was caving in around him. “A few of our caterers were gathering supplies for the days events when they discovered Harmon. I don’t understand. Why is he dead? What happened to him…and why here?”

Jennifer rose to her feet from doing what she could to examine the body. She made eye contact with first McKay…then with Elizabeth.

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked.

Jennifer didn’t want to say her suspicions out loud. Instead, she said, “I need to do a thorough examination of what happened to him. Anything I tell you right now would be speculation at best.”

Elizabeth looked at her. Then, she looked at McKay. She knew something was seriously wrong. She turned to Tobin. “Can we do that? Is there a place we can take him and --”

Shiana scowled at her. “I find it strangely odd that you would want to take this man’s body right after he is found under mysterious circumstances.”

“We’re just trying to help.”

“Shiana is right,” Dahlia said. “At least about one thing.” She was trying to defuse suspicions. “Perhaps we should all help.”

Tobin turned to Elizabeth. “We have a lab on this floor. We can take him there and…Malak, see to it. Allow Dr. Keller and our guests to proceed.”

Malak nodded, but he regarded everything and every one suspiciously.

_______ _______ _______

“So you think this Councilman from Troye is going to be a problem.” It wasn’t a question but a confirmation of sorts as General Landry sat at the conference table with Colonel Caldwell, Dr. Beckett, and Radek Zelenka. They had been discussing the latest possible threat to Atlantis.

Caldwell nodded once. “I do, General. I’m very sure he intends to make life hell for anyone here in Atlantis.”

“But you don’t know exactly what it is he intends to do. My concern is…do you think he is capable of gathering an army for the purpose of attacking Atlantis directly?”

“There is a large force on this planet,” Caldwell confirmed. “What I understand is that Salvadore is a respected member of the Council who can be persuasive. He may be able to gather people to his cause and present us with a serious problem.”

Beckett wasn’t happy to be in on the meeting, but it was necessary. “There seems to be a serious problem on this planet, all right, but that problem is with prejudices, General. The bottom line is…you’re not considered as one of the crowd if you don’t have the ancient gene naturally. If you have the ATA or no gene at all, then you’re nothing but the lowest commoner.”

Landry let out a sigh and shook his head. “This doesn’t sound good at all. I also understand there’s a new Wraith in town. The last thing Atlantis needs is to be dealing with an uprising over an issue of whether or not a person is a descendant of the Ancestors.” He paused. “The men who came in through the gate are now assigned to Atlantis as additional security. I’ll try to send more, but we have a few set backs of our own to deal with at the SGC. Colonel Carter will be returning with the George Hammond and I’ll have her stay on as Atlantis’ flagship until further notice.” He turned to Zelenka. “I apologize for calling you away from your work in Troye, Doctor. You may resume, but if there is any problem over there, you and your team need to come back immediately. In fact, we’ll have two marines join you as a precaution.”

Zelenka frowned. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. If you send in the marines, the Athens will only feel as if we don’t trust them. Don’t you think that would antagonize them further?”

“It might. So the marines will go as two of your scientists. We‘ll just make sure they blend in.”

“Oh…okay. If you think that will work.” Zelenka clearly didn’t think it would work.

Landry turned to Caldwell. “There’s one other thing I’d like to do.”

“What’s that, General?” Caldwell wanted to know.

“I’d like to meet with Tristian Salvadore myself.”

______ _______ _______

Jennifer was in the lab performing an autopsy on Harmon with the assistance from Staci, Dahlia and Shiana. There was also McKay, Tobin and two others of his people standing by as witnesses. Every one else had assembled in the Hall of Fellowship.

Sheppard and Elizabeth had left the lab and when they returned to the Hall of Fellowship, they found nothing but trouble.

“This is outrageous!” Heddon Barb shouted, his face red with anger. “It is clear what happened here. The man was murdered!” He stood before his people, the Satedan’s, and glared at the others. “One of you have done this.”

“We don’t know what happened yet,” Mace said calmly. “For all we know, he could have died from natural causes.”

“How does one die of natural causes…in a storage closet?” He glared at Mace. “Isn’t it obvious? Someone killed him and then placed him there to be discovered.”

“You seem to know a lot about it,” Larrin replied conversationally. “If you know for certain he was murdered and intentionally placed there for us to find, then perhaps you also know how he was murdered and who did it as well.”

Barb stood up tall and squared his shoulders, preparing for a fight.

Ronon stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Easy. We’ll know soon enough what happened. Dr. Keller will find out.”

Kelore sat up straight at hearing this. He looked at Elizabeth. “Your people are performing the autopsy?”

All eyes turned to Elizabeth, awaiting her answer. Ladon and several Genii watched, their tension clearly showing.

She nodded her head once. “Yes, Dr. Keller is performing an autopsy.”

The crowd broke out into expressions of anger and suspicion.

“But she is not doing it alone!” Elizabeth exclaimed. When she was certain she had their attention, she said, “Dahlia of the Genii, Shiani of the Coalition, and Dr. Coh of the Athens are assisting Dr. Keller. They will find out what happened together.”

“If it is murder,” Barb exclaimed, “we must be prepared for justice.”

“We still don’t know what happened,” Sheppard pointed out. “It’s too early to be pointing any fingers at any one.” He looked at the others. “We need this alliance to happen. We all do, so let’s not do anything hasty.”

“Easier said then done!” snapped one of the Genii. “For all we know, one of you Lanteans is responsible for this! Perhaps it was your plan all along.”

“That is not the kind of accusation to be throwing at us when you want us to become your allies, now is it?”

“Why should we ally ourselves with you--?”

“Enough!” Ladon shouted, silencing his man with a look. When the room was silent to his liking, he turned to Elizabeth and Sheppard. “I know you’re not responsible for this. If this man has truly met his death at the hands of another…than there is only one person I know of who would do this.”

Teyla took a breath as she came to a sudden realization. “Sora,” she said softly.

Sheppard snorted. “Yeah. Right. Sora’s responsible. I’m sure that’s a possibility.” He looked at Ladon. “Because bringing her here would not have been a wise choice, which leads me to believe that if you really wanted this to work, you wouldn’t have brought her. Right?”

Ladon remained silent and looked away.

Sheppard cursed. “You’ve got to be kidding me! She’s here!” He glared at Teyla. “And you knew about it?”

Ronon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Is that true? You knew and didn’t tell us?”

Elizabeth didn’t want there to be a discussion between her own people in such a public place. She decided to bring the subject back to the Genii. “Ladon, if Sora is here, would she do anything to sabotage these meetings? Would she try to stop us from becoming allies?”

“She assured me that she wouldn’t do anything,” Ladon responded.

“Oh, sure,” Sheppard began, “because her assurances have worked so well for us in the past. I can see how you might believe the lies she tells you.”

“I swear to you, Colonel, she’ll pay for it. She’ll pay for what she has tried to destroy here today. We must go forward in this.”

“You never believed that before.”

“I believe it now. I’ve seen too much. I know you have, too.”

He had more to say but Teyla realized what he had just said about Sora. She frowned. “Wait a minute…Are you saying you believe Sora is responsible for killing Harmon?”

Ladon nodded. “It’s the only logical conclusion.”

“Okay, Mr. Spock,” Sheppard began, as he considered his own response, “if it’s true about Sora, what proof do you have?”

Ladon looked puzzled. “She is against you and would do anything to make sure we don’t succeed together. It is clear to me who the guilty one is. Sora.” He nodded to two of his men. “I want you to find her and bring her here. Restrain her if you have to.” The two men nodded and left to carry out his orders.

Elizabeth stepped forward. “Ladon, you can’t seriously have her arrested because you think she did it. We don’t really know the outcome of the autopsy yet.”

“I’m not going to have her arrested. I’m going to have her executed.”

_______ _______ _______

The Genii found Sora and as they suspected she would, she fought them. They quickly subdued her, bound her wrists behind her back and dragged her back to the Hall of Fellowship with her lip bleeding. As they arrived, so did Tobin, Jennifer, McKay, and the others who had been witness to the autopsy.

Tobin was stunned to see Sora dragged in against her will. “What is the meaning of this?”

Ladon waited until the prisoner was brought before him. “I am prepared to mete out justice against Harmon’s murderer.”

Elizabeth placed herself next to him and Sora. “Tobin…was Harmon murdered?”

Tobin turned to Jennifer and waited.

Jennifer glanced at McKay, nibbling nervously on her lower lip. Finally, she sighed. “Harmon was poisoned.”

Ladon turned to Sora. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Ladon,” Elizabeth protested, “why are you doing this? You can’t just kill her because you think she did this! You have no proof!”

“Why are you defending her?” Ladon asked.

“Because she may be innocent.”

He shook his head. “She is not innocent.”

“Look, just give us some time to find evidence. There’s got to be some evidence. It will either prove her innocence…or her guilt, but you have got to give us time.”

Ladon turned to his men. He spoke to them in whispers. When he was done with giving orders, the men grabbed Sora and took her away from the Hall of Fellowship. They were going to confine her to her quarters.

“You have six hours. Then, one way or the other…this ends today.”

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-------4-------

Elizabeth stood with Sheppard and her people as they watched the Genii drag Sora away. She shook her head. “She didn’t even try to defend herself. Why?”

“Maybe it’s because she’s guilty,” Ronon pointed out.

Teyla disagreed. “No. I think she is resolved to allow things to play out as they will.”

Sheppard frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I saw the look in her eyes, Colonel. She feels defeated. Since the death of her father, she has never been herself. She has never been the Sora I once knew.”

“But none of the Genii were the people you once knew,” Lorne pointed out. “Or thought you knew for that matter.”

“She is in pain. I don’t believe she has ever been able to properly grieve for her father. I want to help her. I owe her that much.”

Elizabeth paused. “Then see if you can go talk to her, Teyla. Major, go with her. I realize we’ve been given a few hours to find proof of Harmon’s murder, but in the event any of the Genii feel like the time should run out sooner, I’d like you to be there.” As Lorne and Teyla moved away, she turned to Jennifer. “Can you find out anything more about the poison?”

Jennifer nodded. “Oh, yes. I can do that. Rodney…?”

McKay looked at her. “What?”

“Can you help me with that?”

“Me? Okay…I suppose. But I’m a scientist, not a doctor.”

As they walked away, Jennifer said, “I noticed something earlier in Harmon’s blood that wasn’t natural.”

“Poison’s not natural, is it?”

“It’s something in the poison.”

When Jennifer and McKay were out of the Hall of Fellowship, Elizabeth turned to Ronon and Sheppard. “We need to find that woman.”

“What woman?” Ronon asked.

“The one who was arguing with Harmon yesterday.”

Sheppard nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Come to think of it, they were arguing in the hall outside Larrin’s quarters last night, too.”

Elizabeth tilted her head. “Outside Larrin’s quarters? What were you doing in Larrin’s quarters?”

Sheppard opened his mouth to defend himself.

She shook her head. “Never mind. Anyway…we need to find that woman. Maybe she knows something.”

“Great. Why don’t you go find her?”

“Alright. What are you going to do?”

Sheppard looked across the Hall of Fellowship at the man who was watching him. “I’m going to have a talk with Laddon. I get the feeling he’s keeping something back. I want to know what it is.”

“That may be a good idea. Ronon, let’s see if we can find the woman.”

Sheppard waited until they were gone. Then, he made his approach to Laddon. Laddon left the others he had been with to meet him half way. In the center of the Hall of Fellowship, the Lantean and the Genii met face to face.

_______ _______ _______

Ronon and Elizabeth looked for the mysterious woman. They inquired about her to Malak.

“If we could find her,” Elizabeth explained, “we believe she might have some answers as to what happened to Harmon.”

Malak sighed. “You mean to accuse her of murder.”

“No. We only want to ask her some questions. She was seen arguing with Harmon. Don’t you think it possible that she might know something?”

“I cannot help you.”

Ronon glared at him. “You mean you won’t help us. Even though you can.”

Malak returned the glare. “Our affairs are not your concern.”

Elizabeth regarded the man. “They are our concern if Harmon was murdered because of this alliance. If you know something, Malak, you should tell us.”

Malak remained silent.

“You know who this woman is.”

Again, he didn’t respond.

Elizabeth sighed. “We’ll find her without your help.” She turned to Ronon. “Let’s go.” Together, they left to continue their search.

_______ _______ _______

Outside of Sora’s quarters stood two of the Genii. When they saw Major Lorne and Teyla approaching, they tensed.

“Your presence is not welcome here,” one of them said to them.

Major Lorne looked as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s not true. We’re all welcome here. In fact, we’re destined to be friends so why don’t you drop the act.” He paused. “I want you to let Teyla in to speak with Sora.”

“That isn’t going to happen.”

“It is going to happen. Because if we find out that Sora is innocent and prevent her execution, it means we are looking out for her best interest. Doesn’t that sound like the kind of friends you want on your side?”

The Genii exchanged looks. The one whom had spoken remained, however, firm. “No. Sora will not be seen.”

“Let Teyla see Sora,” said a voice from behind Lorne and Teyla. They turned to see Dahlia. Laddon’s sister stepped forward. “They won’t do anything. Let Teyla see her.”

The two men stepped aside. Lorne turned to Teyla. “It’s all yours.”

Teyla nodded. “Thank you, Major.” She smiled at Dahlia. “And thank you.”

“Perhaps this is what should have happened long ago, Teyla,” Dahlia replied thoughtfully. “Perhaps you and Sora should have been locked up inside a room together until one of you came out.”

Teyla smiled. “Perhaps…but I assure you…Both of us will come out of this room. I do not intend her harm.”

“I know…but you cannot say that about Sora intending you harm.”

Teyla took in her words. She gave her weapons to Lorne and then she went into Sora’s quarters alone.

_______ _______ _______

Salvadore at first declined the offer to return for a visit with the General from Earth, but after considering his options, he immediately changed his mind. Erin accompanied him back to Atlantis and they were surprised to discover that the man they had come to meet was waiting for them…in front of the stargate.

The event horizon shimmered behind General Landry, who stood at attention. Landry didn’t take his eyes off from the two visitors as they approached him. When they finally came to stand in front of him, Landry was convinced he had them hooked.

Salvadore looked at Landry with suspicion. “What is this?” he demanded.

Landry smiled inwardly, knowing the bait had been already taken. “Councilman Salvadore, I am General Hank Landry of Stargate Command on Earth. I heard that you were a man who appreciates directness so I took it upon myself to open a doorway back to my world for you to visit.”

He glanced at Erin. “You’re inviting me to your world?”

“Yes. I am prepared to show you exactly who we are and how we came to be here in Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. In return, I hope we can become friends so that whatever comes our way, we can face it together.”

“General…”

“Hear me out. I know you have your doubts about us, but surely you must know it is only a matter of time before the Wraith find out about this planet. Nothing hidden is ever hidden for long, Councilman. I think you must know that. Do we really want to make trouble for each other when an even greater threat is out there?”

Salvadore nodded once. “I do see your point, General. But you must see mine. Your people - at least many of them - do not belong on Atlantis.”

“My invitation still stands. Come to my world and see it all from the beginning. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

Salvadore looked at the stargate. He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the offer.

Erin saw him waver. “Councilman, please…you must not do this. It could be a trap.”

Landry shook his head. “It is no trap, I assure you.”

Salvadore smiled. “I believe you. General, I’ll take you up on the invitation.”

“Father, no!” Erin exclaimed.

Salvadore froze. General Landry tried not to look surprised by the outburst, but as a father himself, he would have been startled if his own daughter had made such an outburst as that. He knew that on the balcony above them, Caldwell and Beckett were watching as well.

Erin put her hands to her mouth, waiting for a reaction. Her eyes never left Salvadore.

Salvadore, however, squared his shoulders and put on a smile. “Dr. Greye,” he said, “report to the Council that I have left on an unexpected journey and will return when I am able to. Tell them it is for the good of Athens.”

Erin swallowed. “Yes, Councilman. I will do that.”

He nodded to her. He turned to Landry. “General, I am ready when you are.”

“By all means,” Landry said as he stepped beside him, “let’s go through together.”

The two men stepped into the stargate and disappeared. The gate shutdown and Erin was left standing there alone.

_______ _______ _______

In the end, it had been Tobin who had told them about Hilary, Harmon’s wife. He helped Ronon and Elizabeth with the search. Hilary was not at the living quarters she had once shared with her husband. She was hiding in one of the food facilities she worked in.

“Hilary!” Tobin exclaimed upon seeing her in a strand of trees.

The woman was sitting alone with her back to a tree. She saw them but didn’t move. As they approached her, they realized she was crying.

“I hate this!” she cried out. “Oh, I hate that it had to come to this!” She cried harder, her body shaking.

Elizabeth sat beside her and took her in her arms. She tried to console the woman, but it seemed hopeless. Hilary seemed to be giving up. First, she cried in desperation. Then, she went still.

Elizabeth wondered if she had taken the poison. “Ronon, get Dr. Keller!”

Ronon began to move but Tobin stopped him. “No.“ He sat beside Elizabeth, placing his hand on Hilary’s head, moving a strand of hair from her face. “It’s all right,” he said. “She is grieving. That is all.” He swallowed back his own pain. “Hilary, dear one. Please. Please, we need your help. We need to understand…this madness.”

Hilary looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Father…he wouldn’t listen to me.”

Tobin swallowed a lump in his throat. “It is not your fault. I should have talked to him. I should have made him listen…for you. I am so sorry.”

Elizabeth and Ronon exchanged looks. “Tobin,” Elizabeth said softly, “do you know what happened?”

Tobin took a deep breath. “I suspected when you told me you were looking for my daughter.” He looked at Elizabeth. “When we found her…I knew.”

“You knew what?“ Ronon asked. “Are you saying you know what happened?”

The man nodded sadly, holding his daughter gently in his arms.

Elizabeth hated to interrupt him, but she had to. “Tobin…what did happen?”

Tobin told them everything.

_______ _______ _______

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” Sheppard inquired as he confronted the Genii.

Ladon sighed. “Yes. I am.”

Sheppard couldn’t keep the surprise from his face.

“Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

“I admit…I didn’t see that coming. You…actually admitted the truth to me just now…that you are hiding something. So what are you hiding?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“How do you expect us to be friends if you won’t tell me everything?”

Ladon looked at him. He seemed to be considering what to tell Sheppard. Finally, he decided to speak one word, knowing Sheppard would understand everything. “Legion,” he said.

Sheppard froze. “Legion?”

Ladon looked into his eyes, seeing the truth there. “You’ve seen him, too. I know you have.”

Making himself nod, Sheppard said, “Okay. Yeah. I’ve seen him.” He paused. “This is what brought on the sudden change of heart toward an alliance?”

“He showed me the future, Sheppard. He showed me that we kill each other in less than a year and then he showed me the Wraith coming in over our corpses to finish off the rest! I saw it all with my eyes! I saw what we became! I saw our distrust of each other escalate into hatred! We tried to kill each other every chance we could. We tried biological weapons. We tried direct attacks. But we always lost! And in the end…everyone lost!” He kept eye contact with Sheppard. “I don’t know what he showed you, but he showed me how it would all end. I don’t want it to end like that. I want to make him see that we can change our future because if we don’t change things, we’re all dead.”

Sheppard paused to consider his words. Finally, he nodded. “I believe you.”

Ladon held out his hand. “Then, for all of our hopes, Sheppard…are we friends?”

Sheppard saw the truth in his eyes. He grasped his hand firmly. “Yeah. We’re friends.”

Ladon actually looked relieved. “Then, let’s make a new future together.”

“Now that sounds like a plan.”

_______ _______ _______

Teyla and Sora regarded each other from a distance. A long time ago, they had been friends. At least, friendly acquaintances, but they did share a good amount of trust toward one another. Then, Teyla was responsible for the death of Sora’s father. She couldn’t have prevented it, but she was there when he was taken by the Wraith. She herself felt a great deal of guilt for what had happened. She bore much of the blame.

Sora, for her part, was just running on rage, but as she stood there looking at Teyla, she felt as if her tank was empty. It showed on her face. She was tired. She wanted the simple life of a farmer, but that life had always been a lie. She wanted her father, but he was never coming back…despite the lies she had been told. She realized that everything she had done had been in vain. Her entire existence was based on a lie.

Teyla then tossed in another bombshell. Something Sora had not been expecting at all.

“Are you alright?” Teyla asked.

Startled, Sora looked right at her, but she saw the concern in her eyes. Teyla was genuinely worried about her. Sora swallowed and looked away, turning her back to Teyla.

“Sora…?” Teyla said hesitantly. “What is it?”

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Sora hissed, trying to reignite her hatred, but it just wasn’t there any more. “Why can’t you hate me like I hate you?”

Teyla paused. “I don’t hate you, Sora. I’ve never hated you.” She hesitated. “I wanted so much for us to remain as friends. I…I thought we had a bond once. Like sisters.”

Sora closed her eyes. She had always been alone. Always. She bit her lip to keep from crying. “I…am so tired. I just want it all to go away.”

“I do as well.”

Sora suddenly turned to face her. “Why are you here?”

Teyla hesitated again. “I wanted to see if you were alright. If you needed anything.”

Sora took a deep breath. “No. You want to know why I poisoned that man, Harmon! You want to know how I did it, to confess my crime.”

“I truly do not want to know any of those things.”

Sora looked at her suspiciously. “Why not?”

“Because I do not believe you poisoned Harmon.”

“What do you care? If they believe me to be guilty, they’ll execute me and then be done with it! It’ll all be over for me! I’ll be gone and I’ll never bother you again!”

Teyla took a hesitant step forward. “Sora, you will not be executed. And you are not bothering me or anyone else.” She offered her hand. “Please…let us deal with this together…as we should have from the beginning. I should have been there for you and I wasn’t. Take my hand, Sora, and let me help you now.”

Sora looked at her, tears in her eyes. “Wha…what are you doing?”

“I am so sorry for the loss of your father, Sora. I was there…and I couldn’t save him. I tried. But I couldn’t save him.” There were tears in Teyla’s eyes as well. “I failed him and I failed you. Please…forgive me.”

Sora couldn’t take it any more. She collapsed onto the floor and cried hard over the last few years of her life. Teyla got onto the floor with her and held her. Sora had been so lost in her rage and obsession that the one thing she couldn’t hold off any longer finally caught up with her. Her grief and despair over the loss of her father. A loss she had never been able to deal with…until this moment.

It all flooded out and Teyla stayed by her side, waiting to bring her back from the brink of despair.

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

\-------Epilogue-------

For a while, the two simply shared the silence as they spent a great deal of reflecting on their past. Eventually, Sora sat up and took a deep breath, as if breathing for the first time.

Teyla watched her. “Are you alright?”

Sora turned her head to look at her. “No…” She paused. “But, I am better. Thank you.” She shook her head. “I have been such a fool. I’m sorry, Teyla.”

“It’s alright. We have come far, you and I. Now we can go farther…as friends.”

“Yes. We can.” She rose to her feet as she came to a decision. She went to her hidden stash and took out her communication device and the stone that went with it. She held them out to Teyla.

Teyla looked at them suspiciously. “What is this?”

“A communication device from those who call themselves the Guardians.”

“The Guardians? I have never heard of them. Who are they?”

Sora shook her head hopelessly. “I…I don’t really know. People who work for them approached me and they told me that if I helped the Guardians…I could get my father back.”

Teyla tilted her head. “Oh, Sora. I’m sorry. Surely you don’t believe them.”

“I did at the time. Teyla, it’s hard to see anything clear when all you want is vengeance.”

“I understand. What kind of help did they want from you?”

Sora paused. “For the time being, they wanted me to wait and watch. Teyla, I think they know about what’s happening here. My contact is a man called Zeus and he talks about a Plan. I don’t know what the Plan is, but it seems very important to him and according to him, nothing else matters but the Plan.” She looked at Teyla, concerned. “What have I done? If I messed up the alliance, I may have ruined any hope for this galaxy!”

“It’s alright, Sora. I’ll take the device to Dr. McKay. Perhaps he can discover something about it.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you, Teyla.”

Teyla smiled. “You’re welcome. And, Sora…”

“Yes?”

“You should smile more often. I believe it would please your father greatly.”

Sora smiled. “It…has been a long time. I…I feel as if a great weight has been lifted.”

“It has been lifted. Let today be a new day.”

For Sora, it was a new day. For Teyla, too. She had missed her friend.

_______ _______ _______

The six hours had passed. Every one met at the Hall of Fellowship. When the Genii brought Sora in to face judgment, Teyla was at her side.

Sheppard shook his head. This entire visit had been full of surprises. This one topped the cake, he thought as he watched in disbelief. He saw Sora smile at Teyla when Teyla gave her a nod of assurance. He had seen nothing but anger and teeth gritted together from her since after the first time they met. What the hell was going on?

“Teyla must have reached her,” Elizabeth said quietly, having noticed the exchange herself.

Sheppard frowned. “So…what? All is forgiven now?”

“If I’ve learned anything about our visit to Dead World, John…it’s this. It’s all about forgiveness. At least for Sora…that appears to be the case.”

“You think she’s forgiven us?”

“Maybe…Maybe she has forgiven herself as well.”

Ladon stepped up to Sora and the others and had them remove her restraints. He looked at Sora. “I’m sorry. I blamed you without regard. Your innocence has been shown to us, Sora. I was blinded by my own shortcomings. Can you forgive me?”

Sora looked at him and smiled. “Come on, Laddon. I didn’t give you a reason to believe I was innocent. And…at the time, I stopped caring.” She nodded. “So, yeah…I forgive you.” She slapped him on the arm unexpectedly and pointed at him. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

Teyla grinned.

Tobin asked everyone to resume their seats. Sora sat next to Teyla. Once everyone were at their seats, Tobin simply looked at Jennifer and nodded.

Jennifer sighed inwardly. She was never good at public speaking, but she had to hide her fear the best she could and get on with it. In her hand, she held a vial of dark red liquid. As she stood up to speak, she was grateful that McKay stood with her. He stayed behind her and his presence gave her comfort.

“Harmon was poisoned,” she began as she held up the vial, “with this. This is the same stuff that’s in the atmosphere of Dead World. It is nothing more than a toxic vial of death that Harmon used on himself.”

There were murmurs of astonishment.

“He killed himself?” Shiana asked in disbelief. “But why?”

Tobin stood up from his chair. “It appears there are some among my own people who…who do not wish for this alliance to succeed.” He glared once at Malak. “I am saddened by this. Harmon and his wife, Hilary…my daughter…were opposed to this alliance. They wanted for us to be simply left alone. They feared that if we allowed outsiders into our world, we would eventually be lost in theirs…or we would perish with them in their war with the Wraith. Harmon was convinced that if he poisoned himself, his death would dissolve the alliance before it began and no one would ever discover the truth.” He sighed. “For this, I am sorry. If any of you do not wish to continue with the alliance, I will not hold it against you. It seems that we all suffer from distrust.”

Silence filled the room.

Elizabeth broke it. “Tobin, I speak for all on Atlantis and for my superiors on Earth.” She paused. “I say we continue with making our alliance.”

“I agree,” Sheppard said, leaning back in his chair. “Hell, we’re friends already.” He winked at Teyla. “Now, I happen to like Ferris Wheels and a really good cup of tea. Taff is good, too. In fact, taff is better than any cup of coffee I’ve ever had from any Starbucks.”

“What is a Starbucks?” Ladon asked, curious.

“Someone needs to get that man a cup of taff,” Sheppard replied, looking for a servant.

_______ _______ _______

At an undisclosed location somewhere in the Pegasus Galaxy on an isolated planet, there was a hidden bunker. Not many bunkers were ever visible, and this one was no exception. It was deep underground and well shielded from prying eyes. It had to be for the Plan to proceed.

The man who was called Zeus strolled through the lab with his subordinate, looking over the results from the test. There were several large vats placed around the lab and each one had a man, or a woman, inside them. They were naked and attached to wires and breathing apparatus. They appeared to be quite content to remain where they were.

As Zeus looked at them and the results, he was pleased. “Well done, Brine,” he said, his voice harsh due to his throat nearly having been crushed by the Wraith several years ago. “Our Master will be satisfied with this. The Plan will be able to commence even ahead of schedule.”

Brine was glad. Displeasing either the Master or Zeus was never a pleasant experience. “Thank you, Zeus. Should I prepare for the next phase?”

Zeus turned to glare at him. “Keep your place. I will inform the Master. Then, he will tell us when to proceed. Until then, make sure nothing happens to jeopardize our mission. Is that clear?”

“Y-yes, Zeus. It is very clear.”

Zeus ignored him and left the lab. He found his second in command waiting for him in the corridor. The look he found on Toa Ruhle’s face was not a favorable sign of good things to come. If anything interfered with the Plan, something had to be done about it.

“Is there a problem, Toa?” Zeus demanded.

“There is,” Ruhle confirmed with a curt nod. “We had a communiqué from one of our sources on Dead World. It seems that your daughter has been compromised and is no longer viable for the Plan.”

Zeus glared at him. “My daughter?” He was genuinely curious and irritated at the same time.

“The Genii. The one called Sora.” Ruhle tried to hide a malicious grin. “She is your daughter, isn’t she…Tyrus?”

Zeus stepped forward, moving his face closer to Ruhle’s. “My name is Zeus. There is no Tyrus. There is no daughter. Whether this Sora is viable or not to the Plan, we will proceed until we have reached our goal.”

“But if this Sora or any one else, be they Genii or Lantean, get in the way of the Plan…?”

Tyrus didn‘t hesitate to answer. “Then, they die.”

________________________________________________________________________


	6. Dante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Designation M7G-677 is under attack and it is up to the Lanteans to save the day. But as they offer a daring rescue, Sheppard discovers that the Wraith are not the only obstacle they're up against. An evil nemesis hides in the dark and plots a terrifying scheme to build a new race. This race is designed to destroy Wraith and human. No one is safe.

****

Previously on Stargate Atlantis...

Keras regarded the team from Atlantis with curiosity. "You are familiar with the Wraith?" 

Teyla nodded once and smiled. "Yes." 

Sheppard shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, we're not friends, or anything like that." 

Keras turned to him. "The Wraith used to farm our planet, as we used to farm livestock and beasts of burden, only we were their herd." 

"Yeah," Ford said, "they seem to do that everywhere." 

"Our ancestors fought them but our weapons were not strong enough. Our people tried to hide from them, but they were always found. None died peacefully. None could enter into the Eternal Rest." 

McKay frowned. "Eternal rest?" 

"To die at the hands of the Wraith -- to breathe your last breath amongst such hatred and evil -- there's no way to move peacefully into the next world when that is your fate. My ancestors decided that, to beat the Wraith, we must learn to think as they think. We ensured that we would never provide the Wraith with a crop worth picking." 

"By ...?" Sheppard prompted. 

Keras turned to him again. "None of us passes the age of twenty four." 

_______ _______ _______

Ford and McKay headed for the ruins. Their escort was two children, a boy and a girl of about seven years old. They walked alongside McKay while Ford walked ahead of them. The little girl looked up at McKay. "Casta says you're a hundred years old," she replied. "Are you?" 

McKay frowned. "Who's Casta?" 

"Me," said the boy beside him. 

McKay stopped and turned to face the little boy. "Where are you getting your information, Casta?" 

Ford stopped and turned around to watch the conversation, amused. 

Casta didn't answer McKay's question. "Why are we going to the old city?" 

McKay sighed. "I gotta check something." 

Casta peered up at him. "What kind of thing?" 

"It's grown up stuff." 

"What's a grown up?" 

"Someone who's older than you are," McKay answered impatiently. 

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard stopped the younger man. "What if a day doesn't matter? What if a year doesn't matter?" 

Keras turned to face him. "And what if it does? I'd never rest peacefully knowing that I was the reason the Wraith returned to this planet." 

"You could live a full life." 

"You are a warrior among your people, one who is trained to defend and protect them." 

Sheppard shrugged. "I guess you could say that." 

"Would you not willingly give your life if it were necessary?" Keras asked him. 

"It'd have to be really necessary." 

"How is the Sacrifice so different?" 

Sheppard looked at him. "So this is just gonna go on forever." 

"As long as the Wraith don't return, yes." 

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard grinned. "We'll be happy to come back and check in on you every now and then. In fact, Ford would be happy to come back and explain how to be a twenty five year old."

"I look forward to it," Keras told him. 

"You'll have to get used to a few things now that everything's changing around here, but we can talk about that next time we visit. Just promise me you'll stick around." 

Keras smiled. "I will." 

_______ _______ _______

The alien in its armored suit marched Jackson into a room where a second suited alien was working on a console with its back to him. "You wished to speak to me," the alien said. 

Jackson paused. "You're the leader?" 

The alien didn't reply. 

"You need to shut this device down immediately." 

The alien turned to him. "No. I do not." 

"Okay, look, I understand wanting to destroy the Wraith, I do, but this isn't the way." 

"I disagree." 

Jackson frowned. "Okay, I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but this device has a serious side effect. It makes stargates explode when they're activated." 

"We do not use the stargates." 

Jackson looked at him, trying to get his point across. "Okay -- but lots of other people do." 

"They are of no concern to us." 

"So you're just gonna let them die -- millions of people across the galaxy." 

The alien looked at him silently. 

"You're no better than the Wraith," Jackson accused. 

"Perhaps, but we have little choice." 

"Why?" 

"Our planet is dying," the alien explained. "It can no longer sustain us. For the first time in countless generations, we must venture out into this galaxy again -- a galaxy controlled by the Wraith. If we do not destroy them, they will destroy us. This is the way it must be." 

_______ _______ _______

McKay turned to the children, Cleya and Casta. "Let's see how long we can be quiet. Who can be quiet the longest, huh?" 

Cleya looked up at him. "Well, I'm not a quiet person." 

McKay sighed. "That's not quiet, that's talking." 

"Well, I'm not a quiet person," she said again. "I talk a lot." 

_______ _______ _______

On M6H-987, Jackson was still talking with the alien. "We're talking about the deaths of millions of people. How can you be so callous? And what is it you're so afraid of? Why are you still in your battle armor? I can't hurt you." 

The alien looked at him in silence. 

"I know you're not human, and you're definitely not Wraith. And if you were an Ancient, you wouldn't have needed our help to activate the device, so what are you?" 

The alien looked at him for a moment longer, then turned and walked away a few paces. It seemed as if it had just turned its back on him to ignore him, but a few seconds later the back of its suit began to open. Once the suit was fully open, a very familiar -- and much smaller -- figure could be seen inside. It carefully stepped down out of the suit, turned around and walked closer to Jackson, who stared in amazement. 

"You're Asgard!" Jackson exclaimed. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

**Prologue**

Keras woke up with a dreadful premonition that something was horribly wrong. He could feel it. He lay still on his back and looked up at the ceiling of his tree hut, listening carefully. Just listening. The normal sounds of the night were gone. It was too quiet. There were always sounds in the night, sounds he had become accustomed to while living in the home he shared with his wife and son. A rustling in the branches surrounding their home; scurrying sounds through the vegetation below them. There was none of that now. Only silence.

Beside him, his wife stirred and raised her head to look at him. Though it was dark and she could not see his face, she knew where he was. She also knew he was awake. It was how in tune Kari was to her husband whom she loved deeply. "What is it, Keras?" she asked softly, leaning against him, her hand on his bare chest. She didn't want to awaken their seven year-old son, Kevin, who was asleep across the room. 

Keras paused. "I...don't know. Something isn't right. I can feel it." He took her hand in his and sat up. "I've got to go out...See for myself." 

"I will come with you." 

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "No. You stay with Kevin. I'll be right back." 

He got up quietly and quickly dressed himself in the darkness. Kari handed him a flashlight - a gift a friend from a place called Atlantis had given to him. He took it and opened the trap door. She moved toward him and he kissed her. Then, he looked toward where his son still lay, sleeping in a peaceful slumber. With that last look, he climbed down the rope ladder until he was able to drop the rest of the way to the ground. 

Kari kept the trap door open so she could watch him, concern in her eyes. 

Keras stood still for a moment as he looked around the village for any sign of whatever it was that caused his growing unease. Finally, he looked toward the place where the Remembrance Shrine had once been. Nearly six years ago, after the Sacrifice for the Eternal Rest was proven to be unnecessary, he had the shrine taken down and the skeletal remains of the Wraith burned. Something suddenly occurred to him. He wondered if it were possible that the unease he felt was caused by a device which no longer functioned. It had happened once before. It was therefore possible it could happen again. 

He looked up at his wife who was still watching him. "Gather the Elders. You must tell them to do whatever is necessary to protect the villages." 

Kari swallowed. She fought back her fear. "Keras...what is it? You don't think..." She stopped, glancing toward her sleeping child. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I will do as you say," she promised. "What about you?" 

"I have to check something." Keras abruptly turned and ran from his home. 

He knew the layout of the land well. He ran along a well used path and eventually came out upon the ruins he had known since he was a child. But a little over five years ago, his friends from Atlantis had shown him something he had not known before. They showed him a device that had shielded him and his people from the Wraith. It was the device which had kept them safe, yet they had not known about it before. They had believed that the Sacrifice, a ritual to end their lives at the age of twenty-four, was the actual reason the Wraith stayed away. They had thought that by keeping their population small, they could be free to live out their lives. When they were shown the truth, however, their lives abruptly changed. 

Even though they were not with him at the present, Keras silently offered thanks to the friends whom had shown them the way. He continued to move through the ruins and shoved branches out of his way. At last, ahead of him was the field generator...but it wasn't as he expected. Nor was it as he had hoped. The field generator was a smoking ruin. As he shined the flashlight onto the device, he realized that someone had used a weapon on it. He made another discovery as he examined the damage more closely. A critical piece of the device was missing. 

A twig snapped behind him. He turned around but who he discovered behind him was not who he had expected. With the field generator destroyed, they were now open for an attack from the Wraith. The man, however, who faced him now was not a Wraith. The man leveled his weapon and before Keras could do anything about it, the man fired at him. 

_______ _______ _______

"Gate activation!" Chuck Campbell announced unnecessarily from his workstation in the Control Room of Atlantis. 

Dr. Elizabeth Weir saw the stargate spinning as she left her office. They weren't expecting anyone. Then again, she had learned a long time ago that when in the Pegasus Galaxy, it was always wise to expect the unexpected. The last chevron locked as she came to the balcony on the upper tier to watch the stargate below. Once the event horizon was established, she was relieved to see the iris fall into place, protecting Atlantis from attack. Then, along with the others inside the Control Room, she waited. 

There was nothing but silence. 

Frowning, Elizabeth turned to face Lieutenant Amelia Banks. "Are we getting anything?" 

Amelia shook her head. "We're not getting an IDC or a message. Just...the wormhole." 

"What's the address of origin?" 

She checked the information on her monitor screen. "The wormhole originated from..." She paused as she turned to look at Elizabeth. "It's...M7G-677." 

Elizabeth repeated the designation to herself. Then, her eyes widened as she realized why she remembered that designation. She reached for her earpiece. "Colonel Sheppard," she said. "Your presence is required in the Control Room." 

_______ _______ _______

The George Hammond had taken a position at a safe distance from the planet known as Dead World and it had been there for three days. Colonel Samantha Carter couldn't seem to take her eyes off from the planet as she stood on the deck of the bridge and looked out the thick protective windows at the front of the bridge. To Sam, the planet looked like a big, angry, red blister. _This blister,_ she thought to herself, _can't be popped._

She frowned as she suddenly realized how awful that analogy was. She made herself promise never to repeat that forbidden thought to Sheppard. Or anyone else, for that matter. She shook her head. Then, she narrowed her eyes. Dead World was a puzzle and she thoroughly enjoyed puzzles. She fully intended to find the planet's secrets and put the final pieces together. 

Abruptly, she turned and headed for the science lab. In the science lab, a team of scientists were hard at work on this very puzzle and it was possible that one of those scientists could have an answer by now. After all, they had been taking all kinds of readings and analysis' on Dead World and they had taken many samples. Three days had to be enough time for them to find something. 

"Three days is hardly enough time to get you the answers we require, Colonel Carter!" Radek Zelenka, who was leading the team, snapped impatiently. "We didn't find anything new from the last time you asked us...which was five minutes ago. Do you mind? We're trying to work here." 

"I can help," Sam told him. "Look, I promise not to get in the way. I may be in command of a ship, Radek, but I'm still a scientist at heart." 

Zelenka looked up from his laptop and scowled at her. "I'm not exactly against your help..." He trailed off. 

She smiled reassuringly at him. "If it's about leadership, I know who's in charge of this expedition, but for Pete's sake, not doing anything about uncovering the mysteries of what happened to this world is driving me crazy. I have to do something...So, please..." 

Zelenka took a moment to arrange his thoughts. He looked across the lab at two of the people on his team who were actually from Dead World. They were a married couple, Lewes and Share, devoted to each other and to their work. They wanted to know what had happened to their homeworld and were very grateful to the Lanteans for their gracious help. 

Samantha watched him and waited. It was true she was a scientist, but her job was commanding the Hammond. She had no right to usurp authority over Zelenka and had no intentions of doing so. However, she knew that her experience could help in the investigation of Dead World. Unfortunately, that decision was strictly up to Zelenka and she would respect whatever he decided. Sometimes she wondered why she accepted command of the General Hammond over her passion for the field of science. Then, she realized she accepted command because it gave her more experience as an explorer. 

Zelenka cleared his throat. "Lewes...Share..." When they looked his way, he continued, "Have you been able to confirm...your discovery?" 

Sam gave him a look. "So you do have something," she accused. 

He shrugged and frowned. "It may be something. Then again, it may be nothing." 

From the look on Lewes' and Share's faces, Sam could see that they had found something. Lewes and Share exchanged a knowing look. Then, Share turned and smiled at Zelenka and Samantha. "We have confirmation, Dr. Zelenka." She paused for affect. "We have found Lenox' Ground Zero." 

Sam gasped in surprise. "Really? Well, that's great." She quickly moved toward them and stepped behind them so she could see the information scrolling across their monitor screens. "This is amazing! This shows that one of your Type 7 probes has found a large black mass on the southern hemosphere of the planet. No wonder we couldn't see it with our sensors. The toxic poisons in the atmosphere are just too dense to penetrate through." 

"Nonetheless," Lewes began, smiling triumphantly, "that black mass is indeed Ground Zero, which means we should be able to obtain more samples for extensive atmospheric analysis from the probe." He looked thoughtful. "Our only concern is whether the probe will be sufficient enough for the task. From what we've discovered so far, this area would not be safe for anyone to venture into even with all of the necessary steps of safety protocol taken." He looked at Samantha. "Additionally, if the probe itself fails, we may have to find another way to retrieve our samples." 

"How is the probe holding up?" Sam asked. 

"It is in the process of failure...or it soon will be," Share answered. "Once its shielding is fully depleted, it will be merely a matter of a split second before it's completely destroyed. Yet the shielding is still operational at forty-eight percent. I believe it will send us enough information to help us before it is gone altogether." She paused. "At least, that is my hope." 

Sam pointed toward the monitor with a fore finger, watching as the probes discoveries scrolled on the screen. She knew the answer, but asked anyway out of habit. "And this is from the probe now?" She frowned in concentration. Something was wrong. 

Zelenka noticed her sudden change of demeanor. "Colonel Carter...is something wrong?" He suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

Lewes and Share noticed the sudden tension as well. "Yes," Share responded, answering Sam's question. 

Sam put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God," she said softly. "I know these energy signatures. I've seen them before. I..." She stopped. Her eyes widened. Without another word, she turned and headed for the door. 

"Colonel Carter?" Zelenka called to her. "Sam...?" 

Sam didn't seem to hear him. The door closed behind her and the science team were left speechless. 

Finally, Lewes turned to Zelenka with a worried frown. "What's wrong? What did she see?" 

Zelenka walked over to their workstation to look at the monitor Samantha had been viewing. "I don't know..." he said, "but whatever it was that she saw cannot be good. If I didn't know any better...I'd say that Colonel Samantha Carter just saw a ghost from her past." 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

**1**

M7G-677. That was where the wormhole had established a connection from to Atlantis for thirty-eight minutes. Thirty-eight minutes was a long time to wait. Colonel John Sheppard was not a man who liked to wait, especially when lives were on the line. 

Sheppard and his team had made lasting friendships with the people on M7G-677. Anything could happen within the timeframe of thirty-eight minutes, but he tried not to think of the worst case scenario...which would be the Wraith. Someone on M7G-677 had dialed the gate to Atlantis. Unfortunately, that was all they did. There had been no contact from anyone on the other side as long as the gate remained open. Elizabeth and Sheppard had tried to make contact by radio but there had been no response. 

With the worst case scenario in mind, Sheppard was prepared to move once they could establish a wormhole to M7G-677 from Atlantis. Ten minutes before the gate was scheduled to shut down, he and his team boarded Jumper 1 to wait it out. His team consisted of Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and the infamous Dr. Rodney McKay. They were joined by Dr. Jennifer Keller and a couple of marines for backup. They had what they required for a battle or rescue...or both. 

In Jumper 2, Major Lorne, several marines and Dr. Carson Beckett were also ready to move out at a moments notice. Jumper 3 was also ready to go. Commander Marc Shiva of Troye's Security Task Force lead several of his men in an effort to strengthen the alliance between his people and the Lanteans. Sheppard hadn't been too keen on the idea but Elizabeth had no intentions of refusing help from the Athens. Commander Shiva had assured him he would follow orders to the letter. He and his men knew who was in charge...Colonel John Sheppard. They would not make any mistake about that. 

Sheppard had reluctantly relented, but he didn't like it. He also didn't like the waiting. He was anxious and ready to go, yet he didn't allow it to show on his face. Finally, the time came and Sheppard heard Elizabeth via radio. 

_"Colonel Sheppard,"_ she said, _"the gate has shut down. You're clear to leave."_

"Dial it up," he responded. "Major Lorne, you check the villages east of the gate. Commander Shiva, you take the west. Be on your guard. We have no idea what's going on there, but we're damned well going to find out." 

_______ _______ _______

Travel through the wormhole was faster than the speed of light for Sheppard, even though he was quite certain McKay would have an argument for that one as he did for anything else. All he knew was for one split second, he and the others were in their puddle jumpers on Atlantis. In the next second, they emerged through the stargate on MG7-677 and took to the skies. As for the actual time it took to travel through a wormhole, Samantha Carter had once explained it when she was on the SG-1 team. She had explained that typical wormhole travel was not instantaneous. On average, it took approximately zero point three seconds.

All three jumpers immediately cloaked themselves and each pilot headed for their assigned areas. Sheppard took a few minutes to scan the area around the stargate and the DHD, but no one was in close proximity to it. Whoever had dialed into Atlantis was nowhere to be found. 

"Any sign of the Wraith?" Ronon wanted to know from the back. Ever since Legion, he was looking for a fight. The peace talks on Dead World only added to the tension as far as he was concerned. Trust was earned, not given. 

Sheppard checked the readings from the jumper's scanner. He shook his head. "I got nothing. For all we know, they could have come and gone while the wormhole was locked onto us at Atlantis." He sighed in frustration. "We could already be too late." 

"Oh, boy," McKay suddenly said, shaking his head as he glared at his laptop monitor screen as if it just offended him. "This is not good." 

"What isn't good, McKay?" Sheppard demanded. 

"When I say this isn't good, I mean that this is categorically one of the worst case scenario's we would have liked to avoid." 

"Can't you just tell us what it is that you've found?" 

McKay sighed. Instead of giving a direct answer, he asked, "How's your flying? Are you running into any forcefields or shields of any kind?" 

"I'm planning on going around it actually." 

"Well, don't even bother. You may as well keep going to Keras' village because the forcefield isn't there." He waved a hand up in irritation. "Which means the field generator isn't working." 

Sheppard frowned. "What do you mean, it isn't working?" 

McKay sighed again out of impatience. "There is no field! Every one of the twelve villages right now are essentially defenseless." 

Teyla turned to look at him. "Could the field generator have failed?" 

McKay shook his head. "Not likely. The ZedPM had a small amount of power left to it. It was enough to last us in Atlantis for a couple of hours, but here it should be able to last a lot longer. Certainly longer than five years!" He paused in thought. "No...The field generator didn't just fail. Someone turned it off." 

Jennifer leaned toward him. "Why would someone do that?" 

"Who cares about why?" Ronon growled. "We just need to know who did it and then we can ask politely about the reason behind it." 

Sheppard turned the jumper and altered their course. "Let's get down there and take a look." He set the jumper down as close to the ruins as possible. As he turned off the cloak and shut the main systems down, he said, "We'll check the field generator and then head into Keras' village. It's not far from here, McKay, so don't even get started on how long of a walk it is." 

McKay looked at him. "I wasn't going to say anything about the walk." He paused. "But now that you mention it..." 

Jennifer placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a smile. "Rodney, let's just go. You can show me the field generator." 

"Oh...alright." He headed for the open hatchway, unaware that Teyla and Ronon were already waiting outside with their weapons at the ready. "Right this way, then. The field generator, however, isn't very impressive in itself. I could build one from scratch myself in my lab." He snapped his fingers. "Of course, then I'd need a ZedPM to power it, because let's face it. They don't exactly grow on trees." 

Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla followed McKay and Jennifer, but they were ready for anything. At least they thought they were. 

_______ _______ _______

Sam sat still in her chair on the bridge of the George Hammond. The Daedalus-class deep space carrier was in a hyperspace corridor on a precise heading back to Atlantis. The heading itself wasn't a surprise, but the timing of the abrupt departure from Dead World was. However, no one questioned her orders. There was no need to. Her crew trusted her and they were confident she knew what she was doing. They would follow her any where. 

Zelenka, however, was from Atlantis and he was working with two of Dead World's top scientists. They wanted to know what Sam had seen. They wanted answers. He decided he would get those answers for them. He only hoped that Samantha wouldn't send him out the nearest airlock for making waves. 

He came to stand beside her as she stared out the fore windows. He turned his head to look as well. He saw the hyperspace corridor they were in and saw the stars streaking by in the blink of an eye. Actually, he couldn't see the stars, but if one stared too long, there was the illusion of them streaking by. That was what he saw. He wondered what she saw. He turned to look at her. She did not appear to be aware of his presence. It was time to remedy that. 

He cleared his throat. 

Sam made no reaction. 

He cleared his throat again, but louder. She gave no indication that she heard him. The technicians at their workstations, however, did notice. They glanced at him. He smiled wryly. He clearly wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate. 

Zelenka moved to stand in front of the command chair and leaned toward Sam. "Colonel," he said plainly, "might I have a word with you?" 

It worked. 

She blinked and seemed to notice him for the first time. "Radek?" She sighed. "What is it? I'm kind of busy at the moment." 

He raised his eyebrows. "You're...busy?" 

"That's right. Can this wait?" 

He frowned. "Actually, it can't wait. Our friends from Dead World would like to know the reason for our abrupt departure, particularly when we were in the middle of very important research on their homeworld." When she didn't respond, he continued, "What did you see?" 

"We don't need to be orbiting Dead World for you to continue your research." She didn't answer the question. "You have enough pertinent data to go on. Use it until we get to Atlantis." 

"Colonel, I need to know...What did you see?" 

She looked at him. "You're as tenacious as Dr. McKay." 

"That was uncalled for...and I am not tenacious. It's just that--" 

"Look, Dr. Zelenka, I would just appreciate it if you would continue with the research. Put everything you have in a file. I need to send it to Dr. Weir as soon as possible, but until we get to Atlantis, no one must know what's in that file." 

He looked at her. "You know." 

"And for the moment, no one else is going to know. Am I making myself clear?" 

He hesitated. "You are." 

"Then, carry on." 

With no other choice, Zelenka left the bridge without the answers he had been looking for. He was, however, determined to find them somewhere else. He had more research to do. 

_______ _______ _______

The field generator was a smoking ruin, but Sheppard was more concerned about the body lying on the ground next to the damaged device. He recognized the body and felt as if his heart suddenly dropped. "Keras!" he exclaimed. 

Jennifer knelt beside the man as the others moved under the canopy of the trees around her and the field generator. He was laying on his side. 

Ronon expressed loudly what the others were thinking. "Is he dead?" 

Jennifer glanced up at him. "He's alive...but barely. It looks like he was shot in the chest..." She took a deep breath. "Frankly, I'm surprised he's alive." She took a pair of scissors to cut through his bloodied shirt. "I have to do what I can to patch him up so he can be moved. Colonel Sheppard...I'm going to need to get him to Atlantis. I can do more for him there." 

"What are his chances?" Sheppard asked. 

"Not good," she answered honestly, "but his chances might improve in the infirmary." 

"You don't have to tell me twice." He turned to Teyla. "Stay with them." 

Teyla nodded. 

Sheppard turned to the chief scientist. "McKay...can you fix this thing?" He pointed his P-90 at the field generator. 

McKay's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you out of your mind? Nothing can fix this!" 

Ronon snorted. "I thought you could build one from scratch." 

McKay turned to face him. "Do you see a field generator parts shop around here? I also said I could do it in my lab. And, by the way, that conversation you heard me say that from wasn't for you." He turned back to Sheppard. "Besides, even if this could be fixed, it still wouldn't work." 

"Why not?" Sheppard demanded. 

"Because whoever did this took the ZedPM." 

Sheppard glared. "Why the hell would they do that?" 

"Am I supposed to know everything around here?" 

"No, of course not." He paused. "But it wouldn't hurt, would it?" He frowned. "Forget I said anything. I just realized who I was talking to." He sighed. "Can you build a new device or not?" 

McKay paused to consider it. "In time...yes. There's still the problem of the missing ZedPM though." 

"One problem at a time. You'll go back to Atlantis and build a new field generator. We'll worry about a ZedPm for it later." He turned to Ronon. "You can come back to the jumper with us. Then, you and Teyla need to go to Keras' village and get some answers. I'll be back as soon as I can." He thought of a new plan. "Better yet, head to the village now. I'll send Teyla to you before we take off." 

Ronon nodded once. He took off into the woods and was gone from view in seconds. Sheppard and McKay hurried back to the jumper and when they returned, they had an emergency stretcher with them for Keras. Jennifer did what she could to prepare her patient for travel. Sheppard and McKay laid the stretcher out beside Keras and they carefully placed him onto it. With a nod from Jennifer, they picked up the stretcher and headed for the jumper. 

They carried the unconscious Keras while Jennifer walked beside them. Teyla lead the way with her P-90 at the ready. Sheppard could count on Ronon to be careful on his own and he could also trust Teyla to watch his back. It was hard to defend yourself while carrying a wounded victim. Behind him, he could hear McKay huffing and puffing and complaining under his breath. Some things never changed. It wasn't that McKay didn't care about Keras because in his own way, he did. The scientist was hoping for Keras to recover just as the others were. But he was still McKay. He was still going to complain about manual labor or the heat or food that had any type of lemon in it. Sheppard found an odd sort of comfort in that. He wouldn't admit that, however, to McKay because he would never hear the end of it. 

They got Keras into the jumper and Sheppard jumped into the pilot's seat. As he brought the jumper into the sky, his radio came to life. 

_"Colonel Sheppard,"_ came the voice of Major Lorne. 

Sheppard piloted the jumper toward the stargate. "Dial it up," he said to McKay. Then, he responded to the radio. "Go ahead." 

_"I need you to come to my location. We found something."_

"I'm kind of busy right now. What did you find?" 

There was a pause. _"Ares and a few of his men...They have someone in custody. A man who was with a group of...super soldiers that came through the gate."_

McKay frowned. "Super soldiers?" 

"What do you mean by super soldiers?" Sheppard asked. 

_"From the way these guys are described,"_ Lorne responded, _"that's what you would think they are. One of them went down...but it took about eighteen arrows and seven of Ares men to do it."_

Sheppard remembered Ares. The first time they had met, Ares had wanted to kill him for interfering with the Sacrifice. "If they're such super soldiers, how did one of them get caught?" 

_"That's the puzzling thing about it, Colonel. This man wasn't captured. He surrendered. He also knows about us and Atlantis. In fact, he asked for you by name."_

Sheppard and McKay looked at each other. "Does he have a name?" 

_"He didn't give it."_

"Okay. Look. Get Ronon and Teyla to check him out. I'm going to Atlantis, but I'll be right back. If anyone wants to come to Atlantis, get them to the stargate. This place is defenseless without the field generator. At least we know it wasn't the Wraith who attacked." 

Lorne's announcement stunned him. _"But they did attack. The only thing Ares' prisoner admitted to was that he and his friends came through the gate with every intention of bringing the Wraith here."_ He gave Sheppard a full report before the puddle jumper entered into the event horizon. 

_______ _______ _______

Sheppard and McKay met Elizabeth in her office while Keras was taken to the infirmary for immediate surgery. She just received their report and was having a hard time with it. It wasn't their report she doubted but it always astounded her about the levels of evil men were willing to do. 

"Let me see if I got this right..." she began, trying to grasp the madness behind it and failing. "These men intentionally destroyed the field generator and made it possible for the Wraith to arrive for a culling?" 

"Oh, it's even worst than that," Sheppard replied. "They stayed around to wait for the Wraith. According to witnesses - and from what Major Lorne told me - they allowed themselves to be culled. Some of them jumped into the beam as the Darts flew overhead." 

Elizabeth was appalled. "Why would they do that? For what possible purpose do they hope to gain?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know. Lorne says the villagers have one of them and this guy wants to talk to us." 

"What could he possibly say to us that would be of any help?" McKay demanded. "We can't trust him." 

"Of course, we can't trust him, but he knows us and he knows about this attack. He's our only lead right now in getting answers, Rodney, so at some point, we've got to talk to him." He turned to Elizabeth. "I have some recommendations." 

"I'm sure you do." Elizabeth turned to face him. "I'm listening." 

"We need to get everyone we can find on M7G-677 and bring them through the gate. I'm sure many others are wounded and they're going to need medical help." 

"I'm sure we can get additional assistance from Troye." She paused. "Are you talking about uprooting everyone from the villages and moving them to Atlantis?" 

Sheppard nodded. "They're no longer safe there, Elizabeth. And besides, it will only be a temporary move because McKay is going to go back and get the damaged field generator." 

McKay frowned. "What? I will?" He let out a sigh of irritation. "I already told you. It can't be fixed!" 

"Maybe you could use some of the parts." 

"Oh. Really?" he asked sarcastically. "You mean the fried crispy innards? Yes, I'm so sure those parts will come in real handy." 

"Look, I'm not taking anything for granted here, Rodney. Use it for a model for when you build a new one. I don't care. You did say you could do it, so just do it. You and your team will retrieve the device, bring it back to your lab and fix it or make a new one. From scratch!" 

"Fine! I think it's a waste of time, but we'll do it your way!" He abruptly turned and left the room. 

Sheppard sighed and looked at Elizabeth. He paused. "I have one other recommendation." 

"What's that?" she asked. 

"The George Hammond." 

"What about it?" 

"We need to go after the Wraith who culled on M7G-677." 

Elizabeth looked doubtful. "John, I'm certain the Wraith are long gone by now. Colonel Carter would have a better chance looking for a needle in a haystack." 

"All I'm saying is we now have a flagship for Atlantis. Don't you think it's time we use it to our advantage?" 

She gave his words a lot of consideration. "She's currently at Dead World, but I will divert her to M7G-677. Who knows? Maybe she'll get lucky." 

"Be sure to tell her everything we know." 

She smiled. "Who do you think you're talking to here?" 

He rolled his eyes. "Right. Sorry. I forget myself." He headed for the door. "I gotta get back there." 

"Good luck." 

"Thanks. We'll need it." 

Elizabeth sat at her desk and prepared to send a message to the George Hammond. 

_______ _______ _______

Samantha was extremely worried about what she had discovered from the data gathered about Dead World. What worried her the most was what she hadn't seen because she only had one brief glimpse of it. She could only imagine what other horrors could be revealed in the data because that one glimpse was just enough to make her mind race to a conclusion she had once thought could not be possible. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. If she was right about her suspicions, there was going to be a much bigger threat in the Pegasus Galaxy than the Wraith. 

She hoped she was wrong. The threat could be as bad as Legion. She thought that General O' Neill would have a fit over this. She could almost hear him now. 

_"Why don't you run that data through your brain again,"_ he would say, _"and come up with a different conclusion, 'cause I gotta tell you, Carter. The one you just came up with completely sucks."_

She almost smiled at the thought. Almost...because she had a sinking feeling that she wasn't wrong at all. 

"Colonel Carter," Lieutenant Jon Saint spoke up from operations beside her, "we're receiving a message from Atlantis." He turned his head to face Sam. "It's coming through a stargate on a planet in this system." 

"Take us out of hyperspace," Sam responded. "Patch it through to my console." As the George Hammond dropped out of hyperspace, she turned to her moniter and saw the image of Dr. Elizabeth Weir sitting at her desk in her office. "Dr. Weir, I wasn't expecting to hear from you." 

Elizabeth smiled wryly. _"I wasn't expecting you to be leaving from Dead World so soon either. That was the first place I tried to contact you at."_ She looked at Sam intently. _"You found something, didn't you?"_

Sam hesitated. After she came to a quick decision, her fingers danced across her keyboard as she sent a stream of data to Atlantis. "I'm transmitting to you our findings." 

_"What is it, Sam?"_ Elizabeth was troubled by the Colonel's reaction to the discovery. 

"You'll have to see it for yourself. McKay will know it the moment he looks at it. You should have him look at the data as soon as possible." 

_"Okay...I'll take care of it."_ She recognized that Sam felt it necessary not to discuss it over their communications. She trusted there was a good reason to be over cautious and respected it. She changed the subject. _"I need to divert you to M7G-677."_

Sam sat up and leaned forward. "What's happening there?" 

_"There has been a culling, but before the Wraith arrived, there was a visit from a group of super soldiers. These men came through the gate and destroyed the field generator that protected the twelve villages. Colonel Sheppard believes it would be to our advantage if we could find out more about who these men are, but in order to do that, you need to find the Wraith Hiveship responsible for the culling."_

"That ship is probably long gone by now." 

_"The men who destroyed the field generator waited for the Wraith to arrive. Sam...they wanted to be culled."_

Sam paused as she let that sink in. "That sounds nefarious." 

_"Yes. It does."_

She thought about what she had seen in the file earlier and wondered if there was a connection somehow. Slowly, she nodded. "We're on our way." 

_"I'll inform Colonel Sheppard."_

When the communication was ended, Sam leaned back in her seat and gave the order for a new heading. She hoped the ship was ready for battle when they arrived at M7G-677, especially if her suspicions were correct. She had a horrible feeling that they would need to be. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

**2**

"This is a complete waste of time," McKay complained as he consulted his laptop with a great deal of irritability. "It's absolutely unnecessary and we will gain nothing from it. I told Sheppard this, but he insisted we do it anyway. Why? Because like the typical military strategist, he told me to!" 

Kathryn DeNoza and Anthony Gibbs were in the process of doing something McKay wouldn't do. Manual labor. They were trying to extract the field generator from the ground, but unsuccessfully. The two scientists were having a lot of difficulty, even with the help of two marines, who had shoveled around the device in an attempt to clear it. No matter how much digging they had done, the device refused to budge from the ground. 

With all of their difficulties, they found it a small relief to be amused by McKay's complaints. 

"Does it really make a difference, Dr. McKay?" Gibbs asked, making conversation as he wiped sweat off from his brow with a pocket handkerchief. "Colonel Sheppard is not only a military strategist, but he is also your boss...isn't he?" 

McKay looked away from the screen on his laptop and frowned. He turned to glare at Gibbs. "What?" He shook his head. "No! No, don't be ridiculous. Sheppard isn't my boss. We're a collective team and naturally, I contribute to the team just as much as he does." 

"But you didn't want to get the device," Kate pointed out. "Something about it...being a waste of time, and yet here we are anyway." 

Gibbs nodded in agreement. "Right, because Colonel Sheppard ordered you to get the device and bring it back to Atlantis, and as Kate pointed out..." He held up his hands. "...that's what we are doing." 

McKay let out a sigh. "Look, it's not like that. We simply reached an agreement." He regarded the two scientists and the marines with mild annoyment. To Kate and Gibbs, he said, "You two spend way too much time with Dr. Zelenka. You're both starting to act like him." 

Gibbs grinned at his science partner. "Kate, we just got a compliment from Dr. McKay." 

She nodded, smiling. "I heard, Tony." 

"How can the two of you possibly be genius'?" McKay wanted to know. "That was in no way a compliment." He sighed again. "Okay. Enough of this useless chatter. Get to work. We need to pull that device out as soon as possible so we can return to --" A loud rustling noise sounded from in the woods directly behind him. He spun around, his eyes wide. "What was that?" he demanded. 

A young girl pushed her way through the wild brush and came out into the open. She looked to be eleven or twelve years old. Her clothes were torn in places as if she had been running through the woods in deperation. Her hair was disheveled. Her eyes were wide with fright and despair, but when her eyes found McKay's, she came to an abrupt stop. The marines had leveled their weapons before the girl came out of the woods. Once they saw her, they realized she was one of the villagers and lowered their weapons. That didn't seem to matter to the girl, however, because she didn't seem to notice the marines or the other scientists. She was completely focused only on McKay. 

She took a step toward him, tears in her eyes. "M-McKay..." 

McKay's eyes widened as he realize it was Cleya. It was the girl who was never very good at playing the Silent Game. The boy she had always hung around with, now he could play the game. For some reason, McKay couldn't recall his name at the moment. He was able to play the game...Cleya wasn't. That was also years ago and Cleya was five years older, McKay realized, and she wasn't playing a game. She was trying to survive after her village had been attacked. 

He snapped back to the present as Cleya used the last of her stregnth to close the distance. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him. He remained perfectly still and had his hands raised as if unsure how to respond to what was happening. 

Kate motioned for him to put his arms around her. 

"What?" he asked, frustrated. "I don't think this is an appropriate time for charades right now!" 

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "She means that you should put your arms around her, genius." 

"Yes," Kate said with a nod. "The poor girl is distraught, Dr. McKay." 

McKay hesitantly put his arms around Cleya, realizing that she was sobbing. She was also saying something but he couldn't make out the words because her face was pressed against his chest. "Uhm..." he began slowly, "hey...what's that you're saying?" 

Cleya raised her head and looked up at him. "They...they took him! The Wraith...they took Casta!" 

_______ _______ _______

When Sheppard came back through the gate to M7G-677, he brought reinforcements along with him, including both medical and military. The scattered villagers - those who had gone into hiding during the attack - were found and the wounded were being tended to. Manned jumpers were keeping track of the skies for signs of Wraith, and the stargate was heavily guarded. Steps were taken to bring the villagers to Atlantis on a temporary basis. Sheppard joined Major Lorne, Dr. Beckett and Ares at the perimeter of Ares' village. From the looks of it, it was decimated. Sheppard looked around as he approached the solemn trio. 

Ares stepped toward Sheppard. "Where is Keras?" he demanded. The young man still had a lot of fire in him. 

"He's back at Atlantis," Sheppard assured him, "getting the best care that we can give him." 

Ares glared at him, although the glare itself was not directed at Sheppard. Ares was angry and frustrated by the attacks on his people. First from a group of mysterious super soldiers, then from the Wraith. He took a deep breath. "I have been told by people from Keras' village that...that Kari and Kevin have been taken by the Wraith." 

Sheppard closed his eyes. "Crap." 

"Why did these men come to our home, Sheppard, and make us defenseless against the Wraith?" 

Sheppard shook his head in frustration. "I don't know, Ares, but I'm going to find out. And don't think this is over. We've got a ship coming and you can bet we'll do eberything we can to get the Wraith who did this. We'll get your people back or die trying. In the meantime, you should get everyone who is able to move to the stargate and head for Atlantis." 

Ares stubbornly shook his head. "I don't want to leave my home." 

"It's only temporary. We're going to get you a new field generator but it will take some time. Until then, get your people to Atlantis where you'll all be safe. Okay?" 

Ares let out a sigh as he regarded Sheppard. "A while back, when we first met...I did not trust you. Today, I am glad to call you friend." 

The Colonel patted him on the shoulder. "Same here. Now...I heard you have a prisoner." 

"Your men can take you to him. I place him in your custody." He paused. "I'd like to get my people safely to Atlantis." 

"Okay. You do that." 

Ares began to walk away, but he stopped and half turned to Sheppard. "Will I be able to see Keras?" 

Sheppard shrugged. "You'll have to ask Dr. Keller." 

There was a pause. "Will he live?" 

"I don't know, Ares...but I can tell you he has a chance." 

Ares nodded once and offered a silent word of thanks. Then, he walked away. 

Sheppard let out a sigh as he focused his attention on Lorne and Beckett. "Okay, fill me in on this prisoner...and where are Teyla and Ronon?" 

"They're with the prisoner," Lorne told him. 

"Has he said anything?" 

"No. He's waiting for you." 

Beckett shook his head. "Excuse me, Colonel, but I don't mean to make things any more distressing than they already are but I feel that I need to point something out to you. You just made a promise to that young man and I'm afraid it's a promise you can't possibly keep." 

Sheppard frowned. "We have the means to try and that's what we're going to do." 

"Colonel Carter is really on her way here with the Hammond?" Lorne asked. 

Sheppard nodded. "She is." 

"It's about time we have a real advantage that can work for us, sir." 

"You're damned right, it is. I couldn't agree more." He looked around once more, trying to determine where the prisoner was being held. "Show me where this super soldier is." 

They walked together with Lorne leading the way. They followed a trail which led up a hill. Sheppard noticed the trail led away from the village. 

"There's something terribly wrong with this man, Colonel," Beckett began as they continued forward. "I don't quite know how to explain it but I get the impression that something was done to him." 

Sheppard frowned, not liking the sound of that. "What do you mean? Are we talking about experimentation? Are you telling me this man was a lab rat of some mad scientist?" 

"Like Michael," Lorne pointed out. 

Sheppard shook his head. "You can't tell me you think these super soldiers are a result of an experiment created by Michael. I'm pretty damned sure he's not returning from the trip we sent him to this time." He was there when Teyla personally saw to Michael's final demise and he was more than okay with that. 

"I'm fairly certain this is not something Michael is responsible for," Beckett assured Sheppard and Lorne. "But someone has orchestrated this whole thing for a purpose we don't know about just yet. What we do know is that someone bio-engineered super soldiers to come here and intentially place themselves in a position to be culled by the Wraith. I shouldn't have to tell you that anyone who is capable of doing such a thing should be feared. We still don't know why this happened." 

Sheppard stopped walking and the others stopped with him. "Look, we know they did this to get onto the Wraith hiveship. We just don't know why. Are they planning to take the ship? How could they? They'd be placed in the harvester chambers the second they were reassembled from the Wraith beam." 

"Maybe we'll get answers from the prisoner," Lorne said. 

Beckett nodded in agreement. "If we can get him to the infirmary, I can run a series of tests that may give us results and tell us what was done to him to begin with." 

Sheppard nodded thoughtfully. "There sure are a lot of unanswered questions here, Doc, but we'll figure it out." He resumed the walk. "Well, let's not keep this man waiting any longer." 

They continued to follow the trail through the woods and up another steep hill. Suddenly, they found themselves on top of a cliff. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was clear blue as far as the eye could see. The land below stretched out for miles. It was a nice view but falling from such a height would be instant death so Sheppard kept himself very clear from the edge. 

Their prisoner, however, was sitting right along the edge as if there wasn't a care in the world. Sheppard thought that if the man even leaned forward just a little, he would topple right off the cliff and fly...until he hit the jagged rocks far below. He shook the thought off. He turned his head away from the view to see two familiar faces. 

Ronon and Teyla kept their distance from the man. Respectfully, it seemed. Ronon kept a watchful eye on him. Teyla turned her head and nodded at Sheppard as he approached. The man continued to sit still on the edge, staring out at the scenery before and below him. He did not appear to notice the approach of others. 

"How long has he been sitting up here like that?" Sheppard asked. 

"Since we arrived," Teyla responded. "According to Ares, this man simply walked up to the people of his village, handed over his weapons and...came here." 

Ronon still watched the man, his hands at his sides. "He's a runner." 

Sheppard looked at him. "How do you know that?" 

"I just do." 

Teyla nodded once. "Ronon thinks this man could be Lenox who has been missing. If that is true, the people of Troye will want to know. Staci will want to know." 

Sheppard thought about it. "Teyla, they're not the only ones who will want to know. Those Who Had Survived The End - I can't believe I just said that - on Dead World will also want to know. Lenox was the one who discovered their Ground Zero." He turned to Ronon. "What makes you think this is Lenox?" 

Ronon shrugged. "He fits the profile. I'm sure it's him." 

"Like you're sure he's a runner." 

"Yep." 

"Okay...Let's go see if it really is him." Sheppard started to approach the man as Ronon and Teyla remained where they were, ever watchful and prepared for anything. Sheppard cleared his throat and prepared to speak. 

"That's far enough," the man said. He slowly turned his head and looked at Sheppard with icy blue eyes. 

Sheppard stopped. 

When the man was satisfied the Colonel kept his distance, he resumed looking out at the scenery before him. 

Sheppard turned to frown at Ronon. Then, he focused on the man who had willingly given himself up to the villagers. "Okay...Look, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you were an unwilling participant in the events that happened here today. But...you did participate." 

"I did," the man agreed. He took a deep breath. "I also did not kill anyone." He swallowed back his anger. "I...don't know if I can...maintain control." He turned his head again and locked eyes with Ronon. "You may have to kill me." 

Ronon shrugged. "It doesn't have to be that way." 

"Perhaps. But it may be...inevitable." 

"You asked to speak with me," Sheppard said, "and I'm here to tell you...whatever has been done to you...we can help." 

The man regarded him. "Yes. Colonel John Sheppard. Ronon Dex. Teyla Emmagan. I do know of you and of a city called Atlantis. Tell me, Sheppard...will you try to restore hope to a doomed Pegasus Galaxy?" 

"We're going to give it all we've got. Is your name Lenox?" 

He nodded once. "I am." 

"Well...there's someone in Troye who is very worried about you." 

Lenox closed his eyes, enjoying a memory. "Staci..." 

Sheppard paused. "I'm sure she wants to see you and you probably want to see her...but before we do anything, you've got to tell us what happened. We know the last place you were at before you vanished was Dead World. The people there told us you found some answers about what happened to their planet. Unfortunately, before you could share your findings...you disappeared." He regarded Lenox. "What happened?" 

For a moment, Lenox didn't answer. When he did, his voice was low. "There is a great threat to this galaxy." 

He nodded. "Yes. We know. The Wraith." 

"No," Lenox said, turning his head to make eye contact. "There is a greater threat. It is not the Wraith. It is...Dante." 

"Dante? What's that?" 

"Dante is evil." 

Sheppard frowned. "Okay. You're being kind of vague about this. Could you share with us a little more detail?" 

Lenox hesitated. "He...did something to me...Tried to make me...a killing machine with no remorse. He did tests...experiments...but I am resisting." 

"He tried to make you into a super soldier." 

"Yes." 

"The others you came with...they don't seem to have any problems with being super soldiers. You're the only one resisting. Why is that?" 

Lenox shook his head. "I...don't know." 

"It could be anything," Beckett responded, standing beside Ronon and Teyla. "It could be something in your DNA that is acting as a type of counteragent to whatever was done to you. Perhaps something the others don't have." He took a step forward. "Do you know what they did to you?" 

Lenox paused. "I couldn't move...Something...a type of helmet was placed over my head...It was filled with this thick, black liquid..." He shook his head. "It entered through my nose and mouth...went into me..." 

Teyla frowned. "You mean...you were made to swallow it." 

He shook his head. "It entered into me...like a parasite. All of it. Until the helmet was empty." He took a deep breath. "I couldn't stop it. After it was done, my memories became a blur...until we came through the gate and arrived here. I began...to resist its control. It...I can feel it. It's weak. I don't know why it is, but I feel more like myself every minute. I'm...just not there yet." 

"Colonel Sheppard," Beckett said, "we need to get this man to the infirmary right away." 

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sheppard asked. "He just told us he has some kind of parasite living inside of him. What if this thing becomes a contagious?" 

Beckett shook his head. "I seriously doubt we're in any danger. We can place him under quarantine, but I can't help him here." 

"I still have a lot of questions." 

"I think those questions should wait. This man needs medical attention. I've stood by long enough. Colonel, you have to let me help him." 

Sheppard held up his hands. "Alright. Take it easy. We'll run it by Elizabeth and if she gives the green light, we'll all go back to Atlantis. Okay?" 

Beckett nodded. "That's fine." 

"Okay, then, let's head for the jumper and we'll dial the gate." He turned to Lenox. "Are you up for it?" 

Lenox nodded grimly and rose to his feet. He made eye contact with Ronon, but neither of them spoke. It was a message passed between two runners. Lenox needed Ronon to be ready just in case he was unable to resist the parasite in his body any longer. It may feel weaker at the moment, but Lenox couldn't take the chance that it might be gaining strength. 

The warning was unnecessary. Ronon was always ready for anything. 

_______ _______ _______

Zelenka looked over all the pertinent data he could with Lewes and Share, but he had no idea what Sam had seen that had spooked her...except for one thing. There was a trace element within the densest toxins in Dead World's Ground Zero that did seem famaliar. He had seen it before, he just couldn't remember where. 

He researched what he could to see if comparisons could be simulated on it and hours later, there was a match in the database. A match that surprised him and then made him wonder if he himself should be spooked by what he discovered. This sudden piece of evidence did not bode well for anyone. In fact, it was downright frightening. 

He decided he needed to see Colonel Carter about it immediately. Now that he had seen what she had seen, he wasn't about to let her brush him aside without answers. He looked at the scientists from Dead World and understood Sam's reluctance to inform them of her suspicions. He wasn't certain he should tell them either. At least not yet. 

He excused himself from the others. "Colonel Carter," he said into his radio, "this is Dr. Zelenka." 

_"What is it, Radek?"_ Sam responded through his earpiece. 

"Might I have a word with you about the..." He paused. "...alien weapons signature found from our probe of Dead World?" 

There was a brief pause. _"Let's meet in the lounge. I could really use some coffee."_

"I'll meet you there." 

_______ _______ _______

Elizabeth stood up from behind her desk as Darren Mace stepped into her office. She came around her desk and smiled a warm welcome to the Councilman of Troye. She was surprised, however, not to see Troye's top medical doctor, Staci Coh, with him. 

After a brief greeting, Mace decided to respond to Elizabeth's inquiring look. "Staci is in your jumper bay, along with your medical team, awaiting the arrival of your team. She wanted me to express her gratitude for your call to us regarding Lenox." He nodded once. "I, too, offer my thanks to you. Lenox is invaluable to us." 

Elizabeth nodded back. "You're welcome. Colonel Sheppard and his team should be on their way. In fact, all survivors of M7G-677 will be coming to Atlantis. Most of them are already here." 

"Staci has brought additional medical personnel to assist in every way. Anything you need from us, Elizabeth...all you have to do is ask." 

"Thank you." 

From below her office and the control room, the gate became active and the first chevron locked into place. 

Elizabeth led Mace to the balcony. "That must be them." 

_______ _______ _______

Teyla finished entering the address to Atlantis on Jumper One's DHD. Behind her, Ronon remained still, his eyes on their passenger who sat in the back next to Dr. Beckett. A marine sat behind Sheppard, in the seat McKay usually sat in. McKay, however, was in Jumper Two with Major Lorne, McKay's science team...and a young, traumatized girl who would not let go of McKay's arm. 

Sheppard felt bad for Cleya. He wondered if she was the one who had dialed the gate in the first place, but didn't think it was the time to ask. Not that it mattered any more. He wasn't giving up hope that they would not only find the Wraith hiveship who took her people, they would also get them back. Including Casta, Kari and little Kevin. 

McKay had wanted to join them in Jumper One but it didn't look like Cleya intended to leave his side any time soon. No one really understood what was wrong with Lenox. For all Sheppard knew, the man could become lethal in a matter of seconds. He didn't want to risk that for Cleya and that was the reason why McKay was in Jumper Two. To keep Cleya out of harms reach. In the Pegasus Galaxy, things always had a way of going wrong fast. 

Sheppard brought the jumper close to the stargate but not too close as the event horizon first exploded outward from the gate. Then, it finally settled. 

"Atlantis, this is Colonel Sheppard," he said. "We're prepared to come home." 

Elizabeth responded. _"We're expecting you, Colonel. We have medical assistance standing by."_

"Then, we're on our way." 

The jumper moved toward the event horizon in the stargate's ring. 

That was when Lenox suddenly tensed and began to cry out in agony. Beckett turned to help him but he froze at what he saw. Ronon, Teyla and the marine leveled their weapons but they, too, were horrified by what they saw. Lenox' eyes had turned completely black and he began to drool a black liquid from out of his mouth. He sat there groaning like one of the undead. 

Unfortunately, Sheppard didn't have a clue as to what the others saw. He realized he couldn't take a chance by going to Atlantis with a potential threat. Something was drastically wrong. 

"Son-of-a-bitch!" he swore under his breath, desperately trying to pull the jumper up into the air in time. "Elizabeth! We need a team of sec--" 

Jumper One disappeared into the wormhole, heading directly for Atlantis with nothing but trouble. 

_______ _______ _______

On the George Hammond, they sat together at a table in the lounge. Their coffee mugs were untouched before them. They were silent for a moment, each thinking about what the other had said. 

Finally, Sam let out a sigh. "So..." she said, "you agree then with my suspicions?" 

Zelenka sat back, just as weary. "I do." 

"My God...Radek, this could be a worst threat than the Wraith if we're right." She paused. "And I'm sure we are right. I wish we weren't, but it just makes too much sense." 

"You didn't tell Dr. Weir?" 

"I couldn't. Not through communications. But I told her to give the file to McKay." 

Zelenka nodded. "Yes. He will discover what we did. Yet when he does...then what?" 

"Then, we pray, because frankly, I don't have an answer for that just yet." 

He looked at her. "You know, in retrospect, it may not have made any difference if you had shared our findings with Dr. Weir through communications. If you were worried about the communique being intercepted, what makes you think the file couldn't be intercepted either?" 

Sam frowned. "Actually, I thought of that after I sent the file. I have no way of knowing either way, Radek, but I do know she did receive it." 

A voice came through her earpiece, interrupting their conversation. It was from Lieutenant Saint. _"Colonel Carter...we have a ship adrift in space."_

Sam looked at Zelenka. "What kind of ship?" 

There was a pause. _"It's Wraith...and, Colonel, it's broadcasting a distress signal."_

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______ _______

**3**

More to come in Acts 3, 4 and the Epilogue


End file.
